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Mizoram CM Lalduhoma revealed on Friday that his government plans to make wine and beer accessible by changing the liquor “prohibition” law which came into effect in May 2019.
While commenting on the motion of thanks on the governors address in the assembly, Lalduhoma elaborated that his government never intended to remove the ban on hard liquor, but was considering allowing the sale of wine and beer. He mentioned that “we are currently in a budget session,” and noted that “there will be a bill presented in the assembly to amend the previously set prohibition law.” “Our excise and narcotics minister will present a modified bill during this ongoing budget session to loosen the strictness of the prohibition law and sell wine and beer,” he said.
The previous government of MNF passed The Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Act, 2019 to repeal the 2014 Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition & Control) Act which was established by the Congress government to sell wine in the state.
The state exercised an all-encompassing prohibition on the sale, consumption, and manufacturing of liquor alongside wine and beer in the state with the exception of three autonomous district councils. In September 2022, following intense protests by grape growers, the government lifted restrictions on the manufacture, sale, and export of wine processed from locally grown grapes. Mizoram’s first wine shop was opened in 1984.
After 11 years of partial relaxation on liquor laws, the Indian National Congress established the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act in 1995, completely banning liquor. Until 2014, the total prohibition remained in place, and the government only allowed the sale of wine after that. Like many other Christian children across the country, youth from these regions are teetering on the edge of drug abuse, which many attribute to the discrimination enabled by these laws.
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