A rural pocket in Rohtak turned into a battleground today as the community’s patience with a controversial liquor vend placement finally snapped.
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The Conflict: For over a week, villagers—led prominently by women and local elders—had been protesting against the liquor shop. They argued that its location, less than 100 meters from a girls’ school, led to unseemly gatherings and harassment of students.
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The Escalation: The villagers had previously petitioned the district administration to shift the vend. However, when the shop remained operational today in defiance of their “ultimatum,” an angry mob gathered. Witnesses state that the protesters broke the shutters and set the interior on fire using kerosene.
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Administrative Standpoint: The Excise Department maintained that the vend was allotted through a legal auction and met the minimum distance criteria as per the current policy. However, the villagers argued that “legal distance” does not equate to “moral or safety distance.”
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Police Action: A heavy police contingent was deployed to prevent the situation from spreading to neighboring areas. “We understand the grievance, but arson is a criminal offense. We have registered an FIR against unidentified persons for rioting and damage to property,” said a senior Rohtak police official.
Community Sentiment
“We gave the administration three days to move this ‘theka’ (vend). Our daughters felt unsafe walking past it every afternoon. When the government didn’t listen to our peaceful pleas, the village decided to act. We will not allow a liquor shop to ruin the atmosphere of our school, even if it means going to jail,” said a woman protester from the village.
