ગુજરાતી
English
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, December 2, 2025
Widows are prevalent in many villages in the interior and coastal areas of Gujarat. Turbaned fishermen and sailors from the Koli community in Saurashtra, Central Gujarat, and South Gujarat are dying from alcoholism.
In the 800 to 1,000 villages where fishing is prevalent, people turn to alcohol due to lack of education and hard labor. At least 50 percent of these villages have a high number of widows. They are unable to study because they are engaged in fishing. Therefore, they do not understand the ill effects of country liquor.
Alcohol is directly responsible for 1 in every 20 deaths worldwide. However, this proportion is much higher in India. Studies have found that villages in Gujarat where alcohol is consumed have the highest mortality rates in India.
People living on the coast of Valsad, Surat, Navsari, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Porbandar, Dwarka, and Jamnagar are consuming dangerous alcohol, including drug-laced liquor and dangerous toddy laced with chemicals and drugs. Most of the alcohol is consumed on the coast. With no employment or education, they go to the coast. Those who work hard turn to alcohol.
Widows in Una
Out of 77 villages, 30 have a high rate of widowhood. Young women are becoming widows due to early deaths. After their husbands’ deaths, they are forced into vegetable farming, retail trade, manual labor, and fishing. Some women are unable to earn enough to support their families, so they are turning to this dangerous occupation.
Widows are prevalent in 25-30 coastal villages near Una. Chikhli, Pob, Dhingran, Tad, Kajardi, Sokhda, Lerka, Mandhgam, Ranwashi, Kesari, Paldi, Vasoj, Olwan, Navbandar, Delwara, Kapan, Dandi, Khada, Senjlia, Khajudara, Seemar, Rajpara, Manakpur, Siloj, Motadesar, Nanadesar, Elampur, and Lamdhar are the most affected.
Each village has 100 to 250 widows.
Most widows are between 25 and 40 years old. Young people sell vegetables and fish.
Bootlegger MLA
Liquor is loaded into tankers from Seemar near Una. Police are conducting patrols. Some people have become MLAs through the liquor trade. This is the reason for the controversy. Former Una MLA Punja Vansh had accused the BJP MLA of being involved in the liquor trade. The situation in Dudhala village, home to the Panja clan, is similar.
Alcoholism takes a toll on women throughout their lives, forcing them to leave their homes. Liver disease is common, requiring treatment in Veraval and Rajkot. In one village, liver disease is the leading cause of death.
Homes are ruined due to the high cost of treatment. Often, treatment is not covered under the Ayushman card.
Daughters begin working after completing 7th or 8th grade. Boys also begin working at a young age.
Fishing Villages
According to the 2010 Marine Fisheries Census, there are 247 fishing villages in Gujarat. However, the Industrial Project Survey estimates this number at 771 to 851.
According to the 2007 Livestock Census, 1,058 villages were engaged in coastal fishing.
On July 30, 2025, the central government announced that approximately 280 fishing villages across 15 districts in Gujarat would receive benefits under the Marine Fisheries Census. Nada Village
150 women in Nada Village, Gujarat, have become widows. Alcohol addiction has ruined their youth.
Sartanpar Village of Widows
Sartanpar Village, a small port on the coast of Bhavnagar, had 800 widows in 2018. In 2025, there were 950 widows. The village has a population of 22,500, of which 30% lost their husbands at a young age. Alcohol addiction is the reason.
A Gram Sabha was called and a protest was held. The issue involved the production and sale of country liquor. A large number of villagers from Sartanpar Village had filed a petition with the Collector and the District Police Station regarding the production and sale of liquor. They staged a sit-in and forced the shops to close. Alcohol smugglers have restarted the process through intimidation. People are scared. Country liquor distilleries are operating and being sold openly. Economic ruin and premature deaths are on the rise. Election Issue
Women won the panel that promised to enforce the liquor ban.
Hareshbhai Vegad was elected.
Hareshbhai Vegad called a meeting of the villagers. Regarding this meeting, Sarpanch Hareshbhai Vegad said that the reason for his victory was the promise to ban alcohol here.
Husbands have died due to alcohol. Many young people, including those up to 45 years old, have been ruined by addiction. Continuous alcohol addiction brings death closer.
They spend whatever they earn on alcohol.
There are 15-20 distilleries around the village. This has been going on for years. That’s why people get posted to the police station by speaking out loud about this beat.
When guests arrive, a glass of country liquor is served after a jug of water.
Bhesan
In Paswada village, Bhesan taluka, Junagadh district, Sarpanch Jaishah Bhati demanded a ban on alcohol. Twenty women in the village have become widows due to their men’s consumption of country liquor. Liquor factories and liquor shops are openly operating in the village. Children, young people, and the elderly become intoxicated. The evils of alcohol are causing many deaths. The Sarpanch had drums beaten in the village and ordered the liquor trade to be shut down.
The Sarpanch announced that
The police should not reveal the names of liquor smugglers because the Bhesan police collect a monthly instalment of 25,000 rupees.
Crimes against Traders
An average of 16,000 complaints are filed against liquor traders every year. 14,214 complaints were filed in 2020-21, 17,875 in 2021-22, and 16,316 in 2022-23. 48,000 crimes were registered in three years, including 28 police officers attacked by liquor traders.
The result is that 160,000 complaints were filed in the 10 years from 2015 to 2024.
Home
Traders in H. Pradhan’s area
In the Surat district of Minister of State for Home Affairs Harsh Sanghvi, 538 liquor and drug dealers are registered in the police records. Surat city has more than this. Thus, 1,000 liquor dealers are registered in the police records in the city and district. This was revealed through an RTI. Based on government data, there could be 35,000 liquor vendors in 35 districts.
Installments
These attacks are happening because the police are catching them despite paying a 25,000 rupee installment for each shop. In Gujarat, there are 2 to 5 vendors in a village. This means there are 45,000 liquor vendors in rural areas. The number is similar in cities. Thus, 90,000 vendors selling liquor can be calculated.
Widow Assistance
In Gujarat, a monthly assistance of 1,250 rupees is provided. Now, a demand for 5,000 rupees has been made. Financial assistance in the form of Ganga is provided to 1.65 million widows. Rs. 3,015 crore is to be provided for the year 2025-26, which increases every year. This includes widows of husbands who died due to alcoholism.
Drug de-addiction campaigns, awareness activities, and public awareness programs on drugs are only on paper. The government has recently stopped granting funds to more than 75 organizations fighting against drugs.
Deaths
Alcohol is directly responsible for 1 in every 20 deaths worldwide. India consumes 500 to 600 crore liters of alcohol every year. Approximately 160 million people between the ages of 10 and 75 drink alcohol in India. Of these, more than 57 million are addicted to alcohol.
If we consider Gujarat, which comprises 7 percent of India’s population, 27 to 30 lakh liters of alcohol are consumed. Daily consumption amounts to 27 lakh rupees. The police confiscate alcohol worth 30 lakh rupees.
50 thousand deaths
Alcohol causes 3 million deaths worldwide. This suggests that 600,000 people in India and 50,000 people in Gujarat are dying from known and unknown causes due to alcohol addiction.
Damage to 10 Organs of the Body
Drinking alcohol causes life-threatening diseases. Alcohol enters the bloodstream within one minute. It reaches the brain within two minutes. It reaches the liver within five minutes, where it is digested. The liver suffers significant damage.
It directly damages 10 organs of the body. In India, especially Gujarat, dangerous alcohol containing adulteration and chemicals is produced and imported. The risk of death from alcohol is very high.
The WHO has listed alcohol as the number one carcinogen, causing cancer. It affects all major organs of the body.
According to the 2011 census, there were 24.3 million women in Gujarat. Of these, 7.8 million were married below the age of 15. The number of women married between the ages of 15 and 19 was 2.4 million, and 2.3 million were married between the ages of 20 and 24. Thus, there were 9.7 million women who were married at a young age.
Mortality Rate
Mortality rates are 30 percent higher in rural areas than in cities.
