A village in Uttarakhand dumps tradition, puts curbs on liquor
THIS NOVEMBER, as a gesture of thanks to local residents who had helped out during the wedding functions of his cousin sister and two daughters, primary school teacher Mahesh Singh of Ratir Kethi village in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district promised them liquor instead of money, as per a local tradition.
Consequently, Singh recalls, at each of the three ceremonies, he ended up spending Rs 15,000 on liquor for the guests and all those who helped out — from door-to-door distribution of invitations to fetching wood for fuel, and arranging food and serving of meals.
With labour hard to find in remote areas like Ratir Kethi, the village saw at least four other wedding ceremonies that month where the same promise was made.
But on December 29, driven as much by the money spent on t...
