Bhopal: Gopal Bhargava, Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Madhya Pradesh made headlines when he presented Moghri (bat) to nearly 700 newly-weds in a mass ceremony organized by him.
Usually the moghri is used for washing clothes by beating them but the State Minister thought of it as more of a better present for brides to beat their husbands who would return home as drunks.
The Minister says, “Whenever I visit any rural or urban area in my constituency, women complain about their husband’s drinking habit. They inform me that whatever little they earn is snatched away by their husband for alcohol. They (women) are also subjected to physical violence”.
He continues saying, “The idea of gifting mogri struck me when a woman asked me whether she should get her husband to stop drinking by beating him with this wooden plank”.
The minister thinks of this as a better way to with deal drunken men and probably only solution for wives. So he ordered 10,000 bats to be gifted to women “suffering at the hands of their alcoholic husbands”.
The Minister says, “The government or police alone would not be able to solve this problem. For this, people have to come forward. There are many examples in history which show that when masses intervene, things have changed for the better.”
Sale of illegal liquor in every state is a major issue. Unless people come forward to deal with it, things won’t improve, says Bhargava.
He asked the brides to make sure that their children get proper education and also advised them contribute towards fighting against illegal activities in their villages and to plant trees.
“An atmosphere is being created in the entire state against liquor but people need to be educated on the issue. It is essential before declaring prohibition,” he added, as reported in Indian Express.