There is money in liquor.
Some investors do not invest in what they call " Sin " companies that are in Alcohol, Tobacco and even Hotel businesses. ( Why Hotels ? )
But a lot of money has been made by investors in shares of ITC , United Breweries, McDowell ( now named United Spirits ) , Radico Khaitan ( earlier named Rampur Distilleries and Chemicals Limited ) etc.etc
Two Indian liquor barons , Late Brig Kapil Mohan of Mohan Meakins ( Old Monk ) and KP Jaiswal of Jagatjit Industries ( Aristocrat ) were teetotalers themselves. They certainly knew where Money was.
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Mohan Meakins was earlier named Dyer Meakin . It was owned by the family of Gen Dyer the Butcher of Jallianwala Bagh.
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Memories
When we were in St. Stephen's College , Delhi ,our friends from Bihar ,used to tell of the 1970 s Prohibition in Bihar and the official Form prescribed by the Bihar Govt. for all those heavy drinkers claiming exemption on Medical grounds.
After seeing the columns of the Form the alcohol addicted applicants would , in shame , quit drinking .
The Form ( in Hindi ) was
( 1 ) SHARAABI KA NAAM
( 2 ) SHARAABI KE BAAP KA NAAM -----------
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We were in St. Stephen's College , Delhi when , in 1977, Morarji Desai became PM.
His Foreign Minister - Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Our Seniors ( IFS ) in the External Affairs Ministry told us of Morarji Desai's trip to Moscow ( USSR ).In the official toast no liquor .
After some time Vajpayee meets his young officers.
He says " Chala Gayaa -- Piyo Piyo "
In our Post Graduation days our teacher of Political Thought in Delhi University's Arts Faculty, North Campus would call
ReplyDeleteSocial- i -Jaam ( Socialism ),
Capital i Jaam ( Capitalism ),
Coom i Jaam ( Communism )
. Students said --very intoxicating indeed