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MOVEMENT: Marshal rallies in every village, women sitting outside liquor shops singing bhajans @GlobalParli

Definitely, Yes! It is indeed the need of hour. In our 4 Step Process of Rural Transformation, The first step involves Alcohol De-Addiction. And this assures seamless development of a village & gives space for a new life for the Villagers.

Once when Mayank Gandhi was giving a lecture at Rewali village of Marathwada, Sangeeta (name changed) narrated her tragic daily routine of being beaten up by her alcoholic father. Her eyes filled with tears, she asked the villagers, "Are we not humans?" Everyone was shaken by the question asked so innocently.

In many of the households, children were also traumatized and beaten if they came in the way of the drunken menfolk. Similar shocking stories of violence were common in these villages. Alcohol dependence among depressed menfolk was not only a cause of social unrest but also acted as an impediment to involvement in farming and other agricultural activities. Any solution we gave to some of these individuals would lead to further violence. The only sustainable solution was to initiate a "DAARU BANDI" campaign in all the villages.

Thousands of women and children held mashaals and walked around the villages, requesting alcohol sellers to shut their businesses. Women sat outside liquor stores singing bhajans. Soon, the sale of illicit liquor stopped.

A few months later, we also noticed that with alcohol gone as an impediment, farmers were more open to learning new methods of agriculture, attend more training sessions, and proactive in taking decisions that had the potential to change their lives. Conversely, in some cases, being presented with these new avenues for earning additional income also proved to be a stimulus in encouraging them to give up their drinking and gambling habits.