Maharashtra: 12-year-old walks for 5 days to press for prohibition of liquor in Yavatmal

A 12-year-old girl walked all the way from her village Wadkhod to Nagpur to request the state government to make Yavatmal district liquor-free, so that her father would not spend his earnings on alcohol and she could continue to attend school.

Arati Anil Raut, a Class VII student, met revenue minister Eknath Khadse outside the assembly building on Wednesday and requested him to help her. Raut had come to Nagpur along with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC Vidya Chavan and Yavatmal district prohibition committee president Lata Chander. The three started on foot five days ago.

Raut said her father Anil, a farm labourer, spent his entire earnings on liquor and wanted her to discontinue school, as he couldn't afford to pay the fee. She said her father also beats her, as well as her mother and brother every day. That is why, she finally decided to approach the government.

Khadse gave a patient hearing to the girl and later told Chavan that the government cannot arrive at any decision overnight. He said prohibition has proved to be counter-productive in Andhra Pradesh. He recalled that Wardha leader late Pramod Shende had already said that prohibition resulted in a rise in sale of illicit liquor. He also told the girl to be courageous and take care of her family.

Chander, meanwhile, said that she, along with other self-help groups including Swamini and Yuwa Sena, have decided to bring 5,000 women to press for prohibition in Yavatmal. Khadse told Chavan that he would meet the women delegation at his official residence.