Arrack-shun ! No more cheers !

Noticed how wobbly kneed women, who walk up to Permit rooms to claim their monthly quota of alcohol allowance, look so weary and wary these days?

Even the otherwise bindass permit holders are now heard whispering,’je pataavu hoy tey aath-nav sudhi maan patavi devu, aney Dumas toh humnaa maatey bhulij javanu,whu ?’(Get it over and done with by 8-9 and forget Dumas for now)

Present prohibition may have partially dried up not only spirits but also Surat’s social glue-booze, but there was a time when Tapi town used to turn into a Cavalla by sundown, ’Surya ast toh Surti mast’.

During olden days, alcohol was distilled locally in many a different way:

In the 16th century, Sidi Ali Reis, a Turkish Admiral who embarked at Surat’s Suvali beach, observed and penned in his travelogue, Mirat-ul –Memalik (Mirror of Countries), “There is in Gujarat a tree of the palm tribe, called tari agadji (millet-tree). From its branches cups are suspended and when the cut end of a branch is placed into one of these vessels a sweet liquid, something of the nature of arrack, flows out in a continuous stream; and this fluid, by exposure to the heat of the sun, presently changes into a most wonderful wine.”

Being a central port for unilateral trade, Surat had sailors from all over the world wading in. The ever busy Surti beach-Swally hole where they embarked was also their watering hole. Spirits were locally made here from fennel seeds, tadi and opium .The entire process of how Surtis prepared ‘niro’ and ‘tadi’, is picturesquely described by J.Ovington in his book”A Voyage To Suratt’

In 1632 A.D., Peter Mundy, European traveler was surprised to discover how in opium addicts seeped poppy husks and seeds in water to produce an alcoholic beverage called ‘poste’, drinkers of which were called’ postees’, while those who prepared drinks from Cannibes-bhaang were called ‘bhaangees’. Many Parsis grew toddy and opium in large amounts; although it was otherwise officially banned, trading it to China was legally allowed.

When Parsis sailed into Gujarat, most of them had a still (tiny distillery) in their homes for procuring ‘pehli dharno, beeji dhar no’ (first outflow, second outflow). They prepared an intoxicating drink from Mahuda flowers available locally; the drink was said to be a digestive, with cooling properties especially during the summers. For winters, special liquor was made from fermented raisins and dates. Also, Port wine is a much loved appetizer amongst Parsi women who prepare the same at home. They consume it differently, by adding a shot of lime to a peg of the fortified liquid.

It was only after the British came into Surat’, that Scotch and beer were introduced to the town’s elite. Beer became a lunchtime drink and Scotch was relished before dinner by the elite. The locals stuck to local brews. In Douglas E Haynes’, Rhetoric and Ritual in Colonial India,’it is mentioned how,” alcohol was present within the moral code of Surat’s Ghachi/ Khatri/Gola community.”

Amongst the earliest responsibilities that Surat’s first Municipalty carried out in 1852, were tasks like lighting and cleaning the streets, expenses of which were met by levying a surcharge on alcohol production at the local distillery.

Douglas has also well documented how the ban on alcohol first began within Surat. In 1906, headmen of the Khatri and Gola communities made’ bandobast’ against the consumption of alcohol as an enforcement of moral codes by threat of social sanction.

Around 1911, social educators like Dayalji and Kunvarji who ran local boarding schools, founded journals that urged Anavil and Kanbi communities to abstain from ‘corrupt customs’ like the consumption of alcohol.

The Gandhian campaign of antiliquor was launched in full swing serving the dual purpose of social purification as well as that of harming Government revenue which greatly depended upon the sale of liquor shop contracts and sales tax on alcohol .In 1921, about 175 picketers marched to the collectorate pleading bidders of liquor shop contracts to,’ Give up sinful money and depend on money that is pure.’

This was perhaps, the moment when the first foundation of prohibition was laid in Surat.

Hello,Saheb ? Myself Surti calling

Within a month since his appointment as the commissioner of police, Tapi town’s honourable top cop has become the talk of the town; oft seen, heard and most definitely feared by miscreants, all around the city of Surat.

Felicitated at a function by leading lalas from industries of textile and diamonds, he was seen warmly welcomed by Surat’s ‘who is who’. Famous businessmen were requested, while lesser known representatives were urged by organizers to come forward for ‘saheb nu samman’, the soul they now look up to for protection from land grabbing bullies and ill meaning elements who wish to hinder their business. Further more, lalas posted the audio recording of the event on You Tube under the title ‘Welcome and Falicitate Shri Rakesh Asthana”, spelling it so, to prove its Surti authenticity.

At the helm of the helmet issue, the commissioner of police was also heard on local FM and at club meets, pointing out to educated adult Surtis, basic and compulsory traffic rules. Commuters who had till date paid little attention to safety details are now paying up fines that amount to lakhs of rupees.

Shady characters meanwhile have gone under the mattresses instead of ‘going to the mattresses’, a la Godfather style. They seem to have vamoosed from the scene, for the time being, knowing only too well that the commissioner, who has won the President’s medal for distinguished service, surely means business when he has promised to ‘legally crackdown on anti-social elements’.

The layman Surti however, has been most impressed with the fact that even as saheb promised peace for prosperity and citizen-police partnership, he also publicly shared his mobile number last week, asking Surtis to fear nobody and call him directly, in case they get tepid response on terror and other issues, from local police stations.

Empowered by having saheb’s number in the phone book, a few claimed to have set up a

“CCC”-Concerned citizen’s committee.

Upon being invited to their first ever meeting last Saturday, curiosity got the better of this columnist to find out what this actually was all about.

A fairly large amount of people had turned up at the designated venue for discussion. Everybody seemed to be speaking all at once.

‘I want to request for a fixed time table for traffic fines. Monday for helmets, Tuesday for seat belts, Wednesday for speed limits etc.’suggested a Citylight homemaker.

‘I simply want to thank him for allowing us to wear helmets designed like the Gladiator head dress; it makes me feel like Russell Crow ‘smiled a dentist from Sagrampura.

While bhaiyajis from Bihar who are vegetable vendors around Parle Point pointed out that they were willingly going to move their carts away “Kyunki bade saheb ne toh hamaarey Laloo Prasad ji ke raj mein fodder kand ka bhi parda farsh kar diya thaa toh hum kya cheez hai .“

The migrant bhabhijis from Kolkuta are impressed for once because “Inhoney kaha thaa ke saheb wohi officer hai jinhoney hamarey West Bengal mein Purulia arms drop case investigate kiya thaa.”

Meanwhile, popular senior citizens Mr.Magan Batla and aunty Batli were on a conference call via satellite, from Daman. ‘As you all know, we are tadipar these days. We are calling over the concern of the disappearance of our niece –Narangi and nephew-Pehli Dharno.They were last seen brewing up by the Tapi, we hope they are safe since they are innocent locals who mean no harm.”


“ Missed call maru ?”

Surti socialites had a more personal agenda, ‘I love men in uniform. All I want to know is which ringtone does his caller tune have. Do you know? Is it Dabangg? ‘

‘I found his name on FB but it turned out to be someone else.’

‘I like the idea of CCTV, am looking forward to see and be seen ‘

A gentleman from Kotsafil road had great concern over cattle which casually strolls around that area,”Aaprey toh koini beek lagtee nathi,whu ? Aaprey toh bindaas puchvanu chey ke bhai aa badha nu whu karvanu chey ? Punn saheb ne aapri bhasha nai hamjan parey’

“This is exactly why we have invited you’, said the CCC president, as all heads turned towards me ,”Can you call him and forward all of our concerns? ”he asked.

Needless to say, this cat scampered from the meet before further curiosity killed it.