Patna: Members of the Pasi community or toddy-tappers Sunday demanded the state government to come out with notifications and advertisements to declare that there was no ban on collecting toddy (fermented palm tree sap) and selling it, except the few public places where its sale stands banned since 1991.
They accused ruling party politicians, including chief minister Nitish Kumar, of creating confusion by inadvertently indicating that toddy had been banned. Senior officials of the excise department, including its principal secretary K.K. Pathak, aggravated it. Pathak issued a letter asking district officials to ensure that no toddy is sold at public places mentioned in the departmental notification of April 1, 1991.
Voicing concern, former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jagdish Chaudhary, the president of the Bihar chapter of Akhil Bharatiya Pasi Samaj, a nationwide organisation of toddy-tappers, said: “Pathak might have issued the letter to bring clarity among the district administrative officials but it led to more confusion instead. The police across the state are harassing our brothers engaged in toddy-tapping on this pretext, torturing them, extorting money, beating them up, destroying their terracotta utensils and small hutments where they sell it.”
“We demand that Pathak issue a fresh letter to district administration officials, declaring that toddy has not been banned and the places, where it could be sold. This would lay confusion to rest and curb police atrocities on Pasis,” Jagdish added.
Akhil Bharatiya Pasi Samaj members, who met in the state capital today, pointed out that chief minister Nitish Kumar had mentioned in his recent speeches that there was no ban on toddy and they all were thankful to him, The Telegraph reported.
Still, a departmental notification would help clear the air among the administrative officials and the police.
Earlier, the state government used to settle toddy shops and grant excise licences to them but the RJD government, led by Lalu Prasad, exempted toddy from excise duty, providing a big relief to the people of Pasi community.
Subsequently, the excise department issued a notification on April 1, 1991 which prohibited the sale of toddy within 50m of any market place and its entrance, educational institutions, hospitals, religious places, bathing places, factories, petrol pumps, railway stations, bus stations, residential colonies of Scheduled Castes or labourers, national highways and state highways in urban areas.
The distance limit for toddy shops from the same places in rural areas was 100m.
Toddy sale was also banned in densely populated areas of villages. These rules are still in force.
According to ABPS figures, the population of Pasi community in Bihar is over 20 lakh. They are in the process of conducting a survey of palm trees in the state.
“Nawada district has the maximum density of palm trees with around 10 lakh of them. Gaya comes second in this regard,” said Umakant Chaudhary, an ABPS member.
Earlier, the state Khadi Gramodyog used to train Pasis and produce neera (unfermented palm sap), jaggery, toffees, sweets, handicraft items from palm trees and leaves. These products were sold at the state government’s khadi shops in various districts.
Though Nitish has already announced that his government would take care of the employment concerns of the Pasi community by facilitating trade of neera and other products from palm trees, ABPS national general secretary Hiralal Chaudhary said the government plan should be a holistic one.
“The state government should first train people from our community in making jaggery and other products, including handicraft items like fans and baskets. This will change the course of employment. Palm trees are the lifeline of our people and the government should keep it intact,” Hiralal added.
Another ABPS member, Bihari Prasad, said there was no need for the aggrieved people to come to Patna to agitate over the issue as Nitish has clearly announced that the state government is working on a plan to provide alternative employment to the Pasis within a year.