Festivals in India are a form of celebration such as happy families, parties. Go back to their villages to live with their family and enjoy traditional traditions. But tragedy began in the Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh, where a Sankranti festival that had started up in the southern province fell apart. Two young software professionals returning home to share in a celebration of the festival died while drinking, they are believed to be in suspicious circumstances. So alarming is the incident that the local community has been asking seriously about the safety of liquor consumption in rural areas.
The fatalities have been confirmed to be Manikumar (32), employed at a company in Chennai and Pushparaj (28), a software developer in Bengaluru. The two men had come back to their native village Bandavaddipalle, in KVPalle mandal, to celebrate Sankranti with their families. That their lives in big cities echoed the dreams of a lot of young professionals from Andhra Pradesh was also the reason why their unexpected deaths devastated their families and community on a scale that was heartbreaking.
The two men reportedly drank liquor with four of their relatives on Saturday in a hilly area near the village. Later that evening, both Manikumar and Pushparaj became very ill. Their condition worsened quickly, prompting their relatives to rush them to the Gurramitta Primary Health Centre. Doctors referred them to the Piler Area Hospital for more treatment. Unfortunately, Manikumar was dead on his way to the hospital and Pushparaj died while receiving the treatment. The suddenness of their deaths has given rise to concerns about the quality and purity of the alcohol consumed and whether it was tainted or spurious.
After the fact the Police and excise department team were on the scene where drinking alcohol had taken place. They took samples, searched the area to see where the alcohol came from. The four relatives who drank alcohol with the deceased were taken into custody for questioning. Authorities are looking into whether the liquor was made available locally, brewed illegally, or shipped from without the region. The case is under investigation, and officials have yet to determine whether those deaths were related to toxic liquor or other medical problems. But the case has already brought to spotlight the dangers of unregulated drinking in rural settings.
The deaths of two young professionals have grieffully left the village. To families who had come together to celebrate Sankranti, the tragedy has loomed larger than the festival. Such an incident came at an hour of supposed joy and togetherness and shocked community members. The case also exposes a bigger problem: the presence of dangerous liquor in villages. In areas across India, spurious alcohol has killed many people in the past. So you have got a renewed concern around the regulations, awareness and monitoring on the part of the government.
The tragedy at Bandavaddipalle is not only local, it is a universal one across rural India. At once city-dwelling professionals return home to celebrate the holidays and be at risk, unwittingly, for their local practice of drinking liquor which is far from safe. This example is an object lesson in how crucial a public safety program is when it involves unregulated consumption of alcohol. There also needs to be stricter enforcement by excise departments against the sale of illicit alcohol.
Manikumar and Pushparaj died during Sankranti celebrations in Annamayya district in a very painful reminder of how rapid happiness can deteriorate to sadness. Their families and community are awaiting the answer, however, as investigations continue to investigate, which went wrong. Outside the immediate tragedy, the event brings up immediate questions of alcohol safety, regulation and community concern in rural areas. As for everything else, the priority is to find the truth and ensure such a horrible episode doesn’t happen again.
