'Sakhis' to wage war on booze in Surat

After maintaining silence for two years on the issue of country liquor dens, sakhi mandals in south Gujarat have decided to resume their work on crackdown of illegal booze manufacturers. They will begin their work in a week's time.

Illegal liquor manufacturing units thrive in these parts of the state due to the large tribal population. They operate openly, without the fear of any government opposition.

"The menace has increased again in the region and some warranting action. All sakhi mandals have agreed to restart their raids and destroy them. We will start our work within a week," said Vasanti Patel, member of Veheval Sakhi Mandal. Patel said, pressure from political circles and police disrupted their movement against dens. As the pressure mounted, members began to stay away from raids, which prompted the liquor dens to resume operations.

"Country liquor, mostly spurious variants, is available in south Gujarat region. Consumption of such liquor kills hundreds every year. We are urging sakhi mandals to start their work again that was getting delayed for one reason or the other," said Madhu Chaudhry, a noted Gandhian in the region.