The document summarizes a presentation about the anti-arrack movement in India led by women. It discusses how (1) the women's movement began as a social reform effort in the 19th century and grew in response to lack of improvement in women's status after independence, (2) the anti-arrack movement specifically targeted liquor made from molasses that was fueling alcoholism, domestic violence, and corruption, and (3) through literacy programs, protests, and roadblocks, women successfully pressured the government to ban arrack in 1993, though prohibition policies were later reversed due to economic and political pressures.

1. Welcome
To the Presentation

2. Dr. Rekha Pande
Dept. Of History
School Of Social Sciences
University Of Hyderabad
A Women’s Movement
The Anti-Arrack Movement

3. Outline
• Women’s movement in India
• The anti arrack movement
• Literacy and the anti arrack
• The movement in rural areas
• The movement in urban areas
• Aftermath
• Conclusions

4. The women’s movement
• The women’s movement in India is very
diverse. The cultural, historical,
geographical, religious, political and other
factors contribute to this diversity.
• This movement began in 19th century as a
social reform movement.
• In the euphoria of the post independence
period it was believed that the status of
women will improve. When this did not
happen many movement arose.

5. A procession

6. Arrack
• Arrack is rectified spirits which is obtained
by distilling fermented molasses.
• As a result of Green Revolution in India,
sugar cane production increased. leading to
an increase in sugar production and its by
product molasses, which is diverted to
making arrack.

7. Politics of arrack
• In Andhra Pradesh the whole process costs
the Government Rs.1 per liter.
• After auction it is sold to the contractor at
Rs.10.60 to Rs.11 per liter.
• The contractor packs these into small
sachets and sells it for Rs.96 per liter.
Thus Rs.812 crore per annum revenue which theThus Rs.812 crore per annum revenue which the
Government gets is only 1/6 of the total amount andGovernment gets is only 1/6 of the total amount and
the rest is retained by the contractor.the rest is retained by the contractor.

8. Contractors and arrack
• Under political patronage contractors have
become full time politicians making policy
decisions.
• Maintenance of monopoly through bribed
police & excise officials with impending
gangs is done with arrack earnings.
• Rest of the money is invested in real estate,
buildings, finance , and donations .
Liquor barons rule the roost in Andhra Pradesh,
dominating politics, society and cultural life.

9. Change in business of arrack
• The increase in revenue of the Government
from Rs.39 crores in 70-71 to Rs.812 crores
in 91-92 has not come about innocently
• Far from being a trade to cater to addicts it
has become a campaign to create addicts.
• Earlier men would go outside the village to
Sara Compound to drink,but the Varun
Vahini Program brought it to the very
door step.

10. Impact of arrack on families
• It had eroded family economy.
• Men became parasites of the family.
• Women were subject to a lot of violence.
Men demanded Neesu(mutton & fish) and
not a ordinary meal of rice and pickle.
The illiterate, marginalised, exploited village women did not
understand all this politics .She only saw a connection
between day to day struggle for survival and men drinking
It was only in the long run that women realised there was
more to the issue than men drinking. They were confronting
the contractors ,Government officials and the very state
machinery.

11. Literacy and the anti arrack
movement
• Recognized development as an instrument
of change and improvement of women.
• Adopted a campaign approach.
• Primers for target groups prepared on the
day to day relevant issues.
• Convey need for literacy through songs,
dance, dramas & street plays
Besides traditional Model of reading & writing the National
Literacy Mission (NLM) implemented in Nellore District
form January 1991. It….

12. Literacy and cultural performers
• Kalajatras (cultural performers) took up issues
of literacy no doubt but also exploitation,
low wages, untouchability, social evil like
dowry, heavy drinking, wife beating, etc.
• Jana Chetna Kendra (Center for Peoples
Awareness) became a very popular meeting
ground for women because they discussed with
other women and shared their experiences.

13. Primers
• The primer which had a lot of impact was
“Seeta katha” (the story of sita) where Seeta the
wife of a liquor addict commits suicide after
failing in her efforts to reform him.
• Moved by “Seeta katha” women in
Dubagunta in Nellore District, decided to
close a arrack shop.
• Motivated another primar “Adavallu
Ekamaithe” (if women unite), how women
closed arrack shops in their village,was
made.

14. Women’s agitation against arrack.
• The existence of liquor shops made it difficult
for women to stop their husband from drinking
• They made a simple demand, “No selling of
arrack in our village”.
• Women wanted to know from the Government
why their villages with no schools ,proper
wages etc... had only arrack shops ?
Women formed committees in many villages
The Anti Arrack Agitation soon became a movement when answeres
to the above questions were sought and spread like a wild fire all
over the state.

15. Women continue their struggle
• The women organized rasta roko and road
blockades of the collectorate.
• Women in Kotala village took their
husbands to local temples and made them
vow that they would give up liquor and a
vow broken would be penalized with
Rs.2000/- fine.

18. Movement in Nellore District
• In July 92, 500 women from Saipeta village conducted
an open meeting asking ban of arrack . Many women
were arrested and cases filed against them.
• In Navakalu Thata women faced the armed goondas of
arrack contractors.
• At Ravoor when police beat up the women they threw
chilli power and stones at the police.
• Soon 200 shops were shut down and 300 partially
closed in the district.
• Women each contributed Rs.1 to pay to the arrack shop
keeper, but refused to allow any shop to be open.

19. Nellore rally

20. Movement in Kurnool District
• Hundreds of women assembled by Progressive
Organization of Women (POW) marched to stop
the auctions .
• Lay down in front of the collectors car and refused
to move.
• Women in Sunnipenta village gathered on the
outskirts and sat down on the road for 36 hrs.
demanding that the arrack vehicle return back

21. Movement in Kurnool District
• When the Chief Minister came to Srisailam 500
women gave dharna and refused to leave until
they met him.
• The Chief Minister tried to evade the question of
prohibition saying he cannot take individual
decision and will have to consult his cabinet.
Women retorted back and wanted to know if for
everything he consulted his colleagues.

22. Agitation In Kurnool

23. The Movement in Chittoor District
• In Iagamala Village arrack shops were closed.
• a district Anti Arrack Committee formed with 24
members of different voluntary organizations.
• Nearly 5000 post cards were dropped to the Chief
Minister of the state with a request to ban arrack.
• Women also wrote to the Prime Minister, with the
help of school children, asking for a ban of liquor.
• Women raided arrack godowns and destroyed
Rs.2 lakh worth of arrack

24. Agitation in Chitttoor

25. Movement in urban areas
• Hyderabad became a meeting point of all
groups in the Districts. Many meetings were
held and dhranas given and slowly an
awareness campaign built against arrack.
• Many women went into slum areas to create
awareness.

27. Government and arrack
Through out the agitation,Government took a
stand that it needs revenue from arrack to
carry out welfare activities especially
providing Rs.2/- per kilo rice at subsidized
rates.

28. Contractors and arrack
The arrack Contractors at first thought that the
movement would die a natural death and they could
go on with their business, but when the movement
spread like wild fire and they could not operate
they-
•gave a memorandum to the Government to reduce
the costs which were payable by them to the
government.
•They filed a writ petition in High Courts against
their loss of lively hood
•Forced the Excise commissioner to order the
district administration to reopen arrack shops.
•Asked for police protection.

29. Opposition and arrack
• The opposition parties stepped in and
demanded policy decision by Government
on the issue of excise auction.
• Raised hue and cry about women being
lathi charged and cases being filed against
them.
• Arrack auctions postponed more than thirty
five times due to women laying dharna’s
outside the stadium and other places where

30. Ban of arrack
• Finally bowling down to pressure, the
Government took a bold decision of
banning arrack from 1’st October 1993,
even bearing a revenue loss of more than
Rs.600 crores per annum.
• Excise department entrusted with job of
preventing smuggling of arrack from
neighboring states. Given magisterial
powers to deal with boot leggers.

31. Demand for total prohibition
• Victory very short lived. The women’s groups
soon saw their struggle come to naught.
• In the following year an increase in the
consumption of Toddy, which was not banned.
Adulterated with diazepam and Chloral hydrate to
give more kick.
• The Indian Made Foreign Liquor not banned, saw
an increase in number of wine shops.
• Now there was a demand for Total Prohibition. A
joint Action Committee formed.

35. Fall of the Government
• At a rally on 2nd October, 1994, the then
opposition leader, N.T.Rama Rao, declared that if
elected to power he would declare Total
Prohibition.
• In the election in December his Telugu Desam
Party got 214 seats out of 294.
• At the swearing in ceremony on 12th December,
he declared the state would follow Prohibition.

37. Total Prohibition
• From 1st January 1995, the manufacture,
selling and consumption of liquor became
an offence.
• An ordinance Promulgated to amend the
Exercise Act. The manufacture of liquor
became illegal and punishable with
conviction and fines upto Rupees One lakh.

39. Aftermath
• In a coup Mr.. Chandra Babu Naidu, the son in
law and Member of the cabinet, wrested power
from N.T.Rama Rao. The Government now in a
catch 21 situation.
• The Total Prohibition was a populist measure to
take votes like subsidized rice, and cheap
electricity.
• If it gave up prohibition , annoyed the women and
if it did not could not deal with worsening
financial situation.

40. Division of opinion
• The period which followed saw an increase in
water cess, electricity charges and other taxes.
• Women’s groups felt that rural areas witnessed a
change. There was a reduction of domestic
violence, increase in savings.They argued that
Government should reduce its expenditure. Look
for other sources of revenue.
• Others felt Government had no business to impose
a moral code and regulate individual social habits.
They felt that the ban on IMFL should be removed
and those who could afford can drink.

41. Giving up prohibition
• Soon the policy began to sag. It was slowly
removed in a phased and defensive manner.
• By the end of the year, no Prohibition,
though the prices of liquor were very high.

42. Conclusions- Women’s Movement
• It was a women’s movement, which saw the
articulation of a family violence in a public
forum.
• It was a spontaneous movement, where
awareness created by the literary program
provided space.
• There was no organized leadership and
most of this came about with local
initiative.

43. Women’s initiatives
• Village became central.
• No detailed planning went into the agendas.
Women took action on the spot depending
on the situation.
• Women devised their own methods of
imposing fines and punishing the violators.
• Women got a lot of self confidence and
sense of power.

44. Use of cultural forms
• Women used various cultural forms to
propagate the message of evil of drinking.
• Many groups performed street plays,recited
poems and songs and they marched in
procession or picketed up.
• Burrakat
• has, harikathas, ogukathas, yakshganas
and other folk forms were employed by
women in their fight against liquor.

46. Changes in the Telugu language
• New words were coined with new meanings.
• Sara Koru- From Daga Koru meaning a Cheater.
Now the Government became Sara Koru Sarkar.
• Sara Rajyam- From Ram Rajyam meaning Ethics
and morality. Now Sara Rajyam- rule of arrack
state for benefit of few.
• Sara Amsam- from Saramsam meaning summary.
Now Sara Amsam- All about Sara.

47. Was the movement a failure
• No certainly not. No doubt, the movement could not
maintain its momentum and continue to exert pressure on
the state.
• It created necessary awareness, raising consciousness in
the country side to take control of one’s own life situation.
• It had strengthened democratic movements like the
Panchayati Raj, which are being carried out at the grass
roots level.
• Women have become aware of their strengths and ability
to bring about change in society.

48. Thank you