Have we really grown up?

Yesterday morning I was watching my favourite news channel NDTV INDIA while preparing breakfast in the kitchen. You can simply say I was shooting two birds with one stone-watching television and preparing breakfast at the same time. It was this special news-story that whetted my interest and compelled me to turn off gas stove for a while. No wonder I did the same and glued my eyes to the television screen to get a better understanding of what was being aired on the news channel. The story was centered around young bollywood sensation Imran Khan who, while addressing a press conference in Mumbai, was critisizing the recent law passed by the Maharashtra Government which has increased the legal age for consuming alcohol to 25 years.
First I thought it might be just a publicity gimmick by the renowned actor to attract maximum number of eyeballs for his much-hyped upcoming flick Delhi Belly. But, after a while when I pondered over the whole issue carefully I felt whatever Imran said can not be mere a stunt for cheap publicity. It might be his genuine concern.
We are the world’s largest democratic set-up with half of our population under the age of 25. It means we are world’s youngest nation also. We have the power to galvanise our economy with highly increasing purchasing power day by day.
Post liberalisation Indian society has changed stupendously and the aam aadami of India has got access to those many things which, two decades ago, used to be consider a symbol of ostentatious lifestyle. It is also to be noticed that all this have become possible just because of the young army of the nation that has given remarkable thrust to economic growth. Though this young army has done a lot for the nation, we can not allow it to have some sips in leisure even inside a bar.
In India, an eighteen years old person is entiteled to excersise his right to vote. He is considered mature enough to cast vote at an age of eighteen. It is the same nation where one can get married and produce children at the age of twenty one. But, we fear to cross our traditional and cultural threshold of so-called morality in allowing drinking to our youth. At least Maharashtra government’s autocratic decision puts a big question before us and propels us to think in a regressive way.
One can not make out easily what lies behind Maharastra government’s this undistinguished move. But, does the government think by increasing age limit to 25 it can prevent people from drinking? This new law will only force people to get false age identification cards and compell them to purchase liquor illegally at higher rates. This move will only deteriorate the condition instead of improving it.
I have also come to know that the actor has decided to approch judiciary and starting an online compaign against Maharashtra government’s new law. Till then wait for the new development.

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