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35 years on, alleged spurious liquor deaths renew calls to revisit the Act
Morung Express News
Kohima | October 2
The decades-old, Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989 is under fresh scrutiny after suspected spurious liquor consumption left multiple people dead in Tuensang and Mokokchung districts. The tragedy has renewed the call from researchers, civil society groups, and other stakeholders for a closer examination of the NLTP Act, both the policy and its implementation.
Speaking to The Morung Express, Dr Kanato Chophy, a researcher, said the Act has failed to stop alcohol consumption and instead contributed to the growth of bootlegging and an underground liquor market.
“Prohibition has led to rampant bootlegging of spurious liquor,” Chophy said, adding that he was aware of cases in small towns where alcohol was allegedly adulterated in homes before being sold.
According to Chophy, regulated liquor sales could be a more practical approach than maintaining total prohibition. He argued that people continue to consume alcohol despite the ban and that Nagaland’s proximity to Assam makes it difficult to prevent the availability of liquor altogether.
“Regulated liquor sale is the lesser evil,” he said, stressing the need for a strong and workable regulatory framework. He suggested that the State Government appoint an officer-in-charge specifically to formulate policies, oversee implementation and execute a regulated alcohol policy for the State.
Chophy said the issue was complex and that it would be impractical to expect every citizen to stop drinking simply because prohibition exists. In his view, much of the problem lies in poor enforcement.
He said the government should reconsider total prohibition, not merely because of the recent tragedies, but because the present system has created a large black market and networks involved in the illegal liquor trade.
Chophy also pointed to the possibility of regulated liquor sales at the district level, adding that if implemented responsibly, he said, such an arrangement could provide an opportunity to examine whether regulation can work in practice.
At the same time, Chophy said responsibility cannot rest solely with the government, pointing to failures in policymaking and execution across society. He called for stringent mechanisms to detect adulteration and prevent the circulation of spurious liquor.
“Honestly, total prohibition cannot work practically in Nagaland,” he said.
From prohibition to public health
Abou Mere, Director of Kripa Foundation, described the implementation of the NLTP Act as an “absolute failure.” He said that instead of eliminating alcohol consumption and supply, prohibition had pushed the trade underground and created an unregulated market controlled by bootleggers.
Mere said the resulting circulation of spurious and adulterated alcohol had contributed to toxic poisoning, serious health complications and preventable deaths.
Referring to the recent fatalities in Tuensang and Mokokchung, he questioned who should be held responsible and accountable for the illicit supply chain.
Mere said the State Government had failed to effectively control the illegal supply of liquor, while also arguing that churches and other faith-based organisations needed to examine their own role in addressing alcohol dependence within their congregations.
Referring to Articles 21 and 47 of the Constitution, he argued that citizens are entitled to protection of life, health and human dignity, while the State has a responsibility to improve public health and living standards.
Mere said the issue should therefore be approached not only as a matter of law enforcement but also as a public health concern. He called for stronger guidance and accountability within churches, noting that both consumers and those involved in the illegal liquor trade are members of the wider community.
He advocated replacing total prohibition with a regulated, public health-centred system. Such a framework, he said, should include strict licensing, legal age limits, controlled outlet density, detoxification and rehabilitation services, counselling, awareness programmes and capacity building.
Mere also proposed a joint advisory committee involving faith-based organisations, civil society organisations and NGOs to monitor the situation and provide policy recommendations to the government.
Time for comprehensive approach
Rev Dr Meyu Changikiri, General Secretary of North East India Christian Council (NEICC), said alcoholism in Nagaland is a serious issue that required a comprehensive and collective response. Rather than focusing solely on the question of prohibition, he said, the discussion should centre on measures that genuinely protect lives, strengthen families and reduce alcohol-related harm.
“Whether through the existing law or a reconsidered policy, our priorities must be prevention, responsible enforcement, education, treatment and rehabilitation,” Changikiri said.
He added that the effectiveness of any response should ultimately be measured by its impact on the health, safety and well-being of the people and the future of Naga society.
An observer similarly argued that prohibition is no solution to alcoholism and that a total ban only succeeds in pushing the liquor trade further underground, increasing the prevalence of unregulated lethal brews.
The recent deaths, the observer said, underline the consequences of such an underground market. The observer also questioned the effectiveness of the administration’s response ‘without doing its duty’ is a mockery of the prohibition itself. He asserted that issuing an advisory after a tragedy does little if enforcement mechanisms have failed to prevent the circulation of illicit liquor in the first place.
