'Neera' discussion in Council leads to banter

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Discussions on ‘neera’ led to some light-hearted banter in the Council at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday.

‘Neera’ is a sap extract from coconut inflorescence. It is also extracted from palms. When left to ferment, it turns into toddy, an alcoholic drink.

During the Question Hour, Congress MLC B K Hariprasad raised the issue of many people going out of business due to a ban on arrack in the state and had sought help from the government.

Arrack is an alcoholic drink made from fermented mash of malted rice with either toddy or molasses. Hariprasad comes from the Ediga community, a caste of toddy tappers.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar responded to the issue with a joke. “I had Neera some 30 to 35 years ago and it tasted like juice. I did not get intoxicated,” he said.

Many MLCs then jumped into the discussion and made jokes of their own. When Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Council, Kota Srinivasa Poojary joined the conversation, the Deputy Chief Minister asked him in a lighter vein if he ever had Neera.

To which Mr Poojary quipped: “The idea of drinking Neera did come to my mind but I was not very confident if I would be able to handle it! I would have mustered the courage if I was as strong as you physically!”

“Poojary doesn’t drink but he makes others drink,” Hariprasad shot back. “You can write Neera Diaries about your experience with Neera,” BJP MLC Tejaswini told Shivakumar, eliciting laughter from the House members.

Toddy tappers in dire straits: Poojary

However, the MLCs continued a serious discussion on the issue thereafter.

“The community which was relying on the arrack business is in dire condition. ‘Shendhi’ was banned during Veerendra Patil’s time and arrack was banned during Yediyurappa’s time. Now, Neera has come. The government must allow the setting up of Neera outlets under the MSIL (Mysore Sales International Limited).” Poojary said.

“Poojary and Ravikumar are thinking about their community. Vendors sell tender coconut for Rs 20 on the street, there is a potential to bottle it and sell it at a higher price. You are asking for an organised sale of Neera in MSIL outlets. The speech that the former member of the Council, MC Nanaiah, made changed the whole liquor business in Karnataka. Many liquor barons were affected due to this. The issue that you have raised may lead to similar things,” Shivakumar said.