It is a common belief that one cannot think properly under the influence of alcohol. The other day, I was amused to read a story about a drunk gentleman disproving this theory. He was driving his car late one night when he saw the police checking whether people were driving drunk. He stopped his car immediately, left the driver’s seat, and took a seat behind. When a policeman approached, he said the driver had run away when he saw the police. The officer in charge was sympathetic and asked a cop to drive him home! The man had not forgotten how to outwit the police.
I know another man who used to run a tea shop in my village. The only alcohol available was the coconut toddy sold in the village shop. He would visit the shop every night to have toddy along with the tasty dishes prepared by the women working there. While returning home late at night, he would sing at the top of his voice. On reaching the road in front of the house of the headmaster of the local high school, a strict disciplinarian, he would go silent, and would resume his songs only after leaving that house far behind.
Later, the government allowed arrack shops. One was opened in the field in front of my home. Bottles of 100 ml were the favourites of many. The worshippers of Bacchus would start arriving from early morning. They would curse the shop-keeper if the shop was not open and come back after some time. Ignoring the quotes in religious books, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks,” they would have their first bottle in the shop and empty many such bottles during the course of the day. That was how I met many of my classmates during my infrequent visits home.
Police checking drivers of motor vehicles early in the morning to find out whether they have consumed alcohol is a common sight in Kerala.
Most states admit that most of their revenue comes from alcohol sales. Since Kerala pays the highest daily wages even to unskilled workers, long queues are seen before state-run liquor outlets. Those in the queue do not care about religious texts calling the habit of drinking the "vice of the wealthy rather than that of the poor."
Another common sight in Kerala during the Onam festival is that of drunkards sleeping on roadsides in strange postures. One comment at the bottom of such a photograph was, “See how sad the people are after their erstwhile king Mahabali went back after visiting them!”
Some states have prohibitions due to their association with the Father of the Nation. As most people believed in eating and drinking what they liked, getting the banned item, though at a higher price, was not difficult. Many such suppliers were law enforcement officers earning an extra buck while off duty. Although some people wanted certain adjacent Union Territories to be annexed to the state, several influential people thwarted the idea as they were the closest legal watering holes.
An interesting fact is that drunks usually speak the truth, while people tell lies in courts of law after swearing on religious books.