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www.GOALias.blogspot.comRise of Popular Movements 137Anti-Arrack MovementWhen the BKU was mobilising the farmers of thenorth, an altogether different kind of mobilisation inthe rural areas was taking shape in the southern Stateof Andhra Pradesh. It was a spontaneous mobilisationof women demanding a ban on the sale of alcohol intheir neighbourhoods.Liquor Mafia take to Heels as Women Hit BackThe women of villageGundlur in Kalikarimandal of Chittoor districtassembled and resolvedto put an end to the saleof arrack in their village.They conveyed thisresolution to the villagearrack vendor. Theyturned back the jeep thatbrought arrack packetsto the village. However,when the village arrackvendor informed thecontractor about this,the contractor sent him agang of men to help himresume sales. Women ofthe village were adamantand opposed this move.The contractor called inthe police but even theyhad to beat a retreat. Aweek later, women whoCredit: Zubanprevented the sale of arrackwere assaulted by arrackcontractor’s goondas withiron rods and other lethalweapons. But when thewomen resisted the assaultunitedly, the hired mafiatook to their heels. Thewomen later destroyedthree jeeps full of arrack.Credit: ZubanBased on a report in Eenadu,October 29, 1992.Stories of this kindappeared in the Telugu pressalmost daily during the twomonths of September andOctober 1992. The name ofthe village would change ineach case but the story wasthe same. Rural women inremote villages from the Stateof Andhra Pradesh fought abattle against alcoholism,against mafias and against Wethe government during this hear allperiod. These agitationsthese nicestories, but theyshaped what was known asnever tell us howthe anti-arrack movement in these ended. Didthe State.this movement putan end to drinking?Or did the men goback to it aftersome time?