'Otel prohibition better than total

Before proceeding any further, let us raise an early glass to welcome Gujarat's coming out of the drinks cabinet to join the ranks of states that enjoy a tipple without going into moral convulsions and strategic backrooms. The state which took its most famous teetotal son a bit too seriously has gently twisted the cap off the prohibition bottle to allow hotels with liquor licences the option of issuing drinking 'permits' to guests from outside Gujarat. Considering that regular imbibers in Gujarat have, over the decades, found an easier (albeit still cumbersome) option of sourcing their drinks than visitors who, if unprepared, end up in a dry state of being, the Gujarat government's move is nothing short of revolutionary.

But revolutions can be crafty. We totally respect Gujarat finance minister Saurabh Patel when he said, "There will be no laxity in issuing liquor permits…It is not that we would open special counters for them. It is just that we are bringing in good governance in the existing policy." Quite. The law stays. Only the process to relax the law for outsiders is now less cumbersome. An email and a proof-of-hotel stay later, a three-day permit is yours. And there is no silly norm to stop such a permit-holder from inviting some friends from the neighbourhood over to the hotel to celebrate.