One of the main purposes which Radiance was incepted for is to eradicate social evils from society. While others are of the opinion that alcoholism is responsible for most of the crimes ranging from robbery to rape to murder to suicide, Radiance considers alcoholism itself the biggest crime. The magazine seems straightforward when it comes to fight this evil and it lets no opportunity slip by without addressing or rather warning the society of this dreadful monster. Radiance has always advocated a blanket ban on alcohol as well as encouraging civilians to help the government eradicate this evil.
When the Government of NCT of Delhi decided to put a temporary ban on alcohol in December 1995 in the wake of several deaths caused by it — most recent among all was the death of two people in the first week of December 1995 which rocked the Delhi assembly — Radiance (31 December 1995) editorially commented, “No good can be hoped unless a blanket ban on the manufacture, production, sale and consumption of liquor is imposed.”
It further continued, “…though in the recent case only two causalities have been reported, it is no less enough to set the government officials as well as thinking people to sit together and think over the continuing menace so that the citizens of the country may well be saved from falling into a known death trap.”
Coming down heavily upon the government’s as well as some others idea that alcohol generates a hefty amount of revenue which is used for the sake of a common man, the journal writes in its issue on 8 October 1972, “It is in fact ironically contradictory for the government to augment its revenue for the good of people through means which are patently injurious to the people.”
This issue of the magazine also carries a letter of the then president Jamaat-e-Islami Hind urging the Union Government to ban all the alcoholic substances from immediate effect. In his letter addressed to the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Jamaat president writes, “It appears that neither your party nor yourself are in favour of total prohibition (of alcohol) which is quite distressing, all the more so in view of the clear directive principle of the state policy laid down in Article 47 of the Constitution of India. While this article deals with the positive aspect i.e. improving public health, Article 39 (e) deals with negative aspect, that the health and strength of workers are not abused.” The letter further adds, “There is no gainsaying the fact that by encouraging the habit of drinking the state is certainly impairing the health and strength of drinking people.”
There are general perceptions that moderate use of alcohol is good for health and alcohol helps reduce mental tension and pressure. Only two extracts from Radiance will suffice to expose the hollowness of the idea. One from the issue published on 28 May 1996 quoting Dr. Hans Emblad, the then Director of World Health Organisation on Substance Use and the other from the Special Issue of Radiance “Scourge of Alcoholism” published on 20 Jan 2013 quoting Dr. Mohammad Aslam of Mumbai.
According to Dr. Emblad, “There is no minimum threshold below which alcohol can be consumed without any risk…it is an unwise idea.” The statement of Dr. Aslam reads, “Alcohol depresses nervous system of human body and brain, under its influence, loses its control over other parts of body. The notion that a person after drinking alcohol feels relaxed is simply because he is nearly unconscious.”
The doctor further elaborates it saying, “You may beat a person under influence of alcohol as severely as you can and he will not realise the pain because the part of mind which has the emotions and feelings does not work under the influence of intoxicants.” (Radiance, 20 January 2013)
An article (2 December 1994) discusses in detail the diseases caused by alcohol. “In low concentration it stimulates gastric secretion. Many people may experience increased appetite (it is due to stimulation of test buds). In concentration over 10 to 15 per cent gastric secretion is depressed and mucosa becomes inflamed (gastritis) upsetting digestion,” reads a paragraph in the same issue.
The article “Hazardous Effects of Alcoholism” (21 December 1997) even names different diseases caused by alcohol. The Special Issue of the Radiance “Scourge of Alcoholism” (20 Jan 2013) is a complete guide in itself. The Cover Story, Drug Addiction a Growing Menace, by Dr. Abdul Aziz Khan of the Aligarh Muslim University in the special issue gives some signs to identify a drug abuser or an alcoholic. Some of them are given below:
- Academic changes
- Decline in academic performance
- Physical changes
- Slurring of speech
- Sweating at night
- Loss of appetite
- Reddening of eyes
- Unsteady gait
- Fresh injection sites
- Temper tantrums
- Puffiness under eyes
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Blood stains on clothes
- Disappearance of articles from home. Addicts often sell articles to obtain money for the purchase of drug.
- Odour on breath and clothing
- Presence of needles, syringes, strange packets, etc. at home
- Presence of solitude, especially spending long hours in the toilet.
At the end of the article the writer suggests some points to control and manage the evil. According to him, after identification of a drug addict there should be motivation for detoxification and serious efforts for his rehabilitation.
Another article in the same issue “Looking at the Modern Cure for Alcoholism” suggests that only a strong will power can help one rid of this peril. Also in this issue, the review of Julien Mercille’s book Cruel Harvest: US Intervention in the Afghan Drug Trade exposes how Super Powers like America busy promoting drug trades in small countries so as to achieve their short-term gain. “The book argues that the Taliban completely eradicated and banned the opium production during the year 2000-01 and the revival of drug trade started once again when the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001,” reads a sentence in the review article.
Radiance is of the opinion that no evil can be uprooted by only constituting laws. Therefore, it promotes common men and asks the civil societies to take steps in this regard. It writes in its issue on 31 March 1996 giving some suggestions to the civil organisations in this regard, “…the religious sentiments of the Indian masses may be given a turn for better, so far drug abuse and alcoholism is concerned.”