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Women wield the whip, as men wake to the sober reality

Women in the remote Pedamallapuram village, in the East Godavary district, had for long been suffering from a combination of drunkard menfolk, Naxalites and police.

And they've about had it.

As of now, drunks, Naxalites and police have been denied entry into the village. And that, they say, goes.

Taking the initiative in this regard are two sisters, Tonta Ramulamma and Lakshmamma, who identified liquor as their main enemy. Mobilising women from their region and surrounding villages, they formed a Mahila Sangham and passed a resolution banning both the brewing, and consumption, of alcohol in the area.

Since then, being under the influence has attracted their instant wrath, and how. Three youths who recently had a peg or three were chased by the women. The youths hopped onto a bus, the women grabbed bicycles and gave chase.

Running down their quarry, the vengeful women tied the culprits to a temple pillar and let ants loose on their heads and body.

The third degree forced confessions out of the boys -- and that in turn led to a severe thrashing, which was kept up until the young lads promised not to touch a drop of brew ever again.

Till just a few months back, the tribals of the region had, like their counterparts elsewhere, been leading a life of drinking, quarreling, deserting their spouses and attempting to eke out a living through cultivation of paddy or millet in patches of cleared forest land.

They were also getting some monetary benefits from the Girjan Cooperation Corporation, a state agency which offered remunerative prices for minor forest produce like tamarind, soapnuts, honey and the like.

The outlawed People's War Group Naxalites were frequent visitors to the village, forcing the tribals to toe their line. The PWG even formed a six-member committee comprising local youths.

The police, naturally enough, became an equally frequent presence, harassing the inhabitants and demanding information about Naxal movements.

Not any more, though. The PWG has been told to keep out of the territory or face the wrath of the Mahila Sangham. Recently, the women beat up some Naxalite committee members for threatening the locals. And taking their stand to the logical extreme, the women have informed the police that they need no longer visit the area -- after all, they argued, there are no Naxals there for them to chase.

The ban on drinking, meanwhile, is being enforced with incredible severity. The baffled menfolk recently petitioned their better halves, asking for permission to indulge at least during the yearly festival dedicated to the tribal goddess Gangalamma.

Sing and dance all you like, the men were told -- but be damn sure you are sober when you do it.

So that is precisely how it was, this year -- lots of fun and games, but nary a drop of booze.

President of the Mahila Sangham Tonta Ramulamma meanwhile notes with pride that her association now numbers over 2,000 members.

Pedamallapuram, with its 200 tribal families, has in fact become a trend setter for surrounding hamlets, which are increasingly following the Sangham's example.

And the 'do it yourself' drive shows no sign of abating. Thus, the Sangham is now concentrating on promoting literacy through Akshara Godavary -- a literacy programme launched by the state government in the district.

The benefits, meanwhile, have begun to show. The region had a record for liquor calamities, recording an average 50, 60 deaths annually from liquor poisoning. This time round, the death toll is next to nil, and medical officers report improvement in general health.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has praised the women of the region for their initiative, and exhorted others to emulate the example set.

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