In this episode of The Kashmir Notebook, Gowhar Geelani is in conversation with Naeem Akhtar, PDP leader and former Cabinet Minister, to discuss one of Kashmir’s most persistent and controversial debates: liquor, society, and politics.
Why has liquor never been fully banned in Kashmir despite strong religious opposition? How do arguments around morality, individual choice, and economic revenue shape this ongoing debate? Naeem Akhtar traces the history of liquor in Kashmir—from references in Sufi traditions and the Sultanate period to post-independence legislative debates and the impact of militancy in the 1990s.
The conversation also explores how liquor consumption remains socially restricted yet politically contested. Akhtar discusses the role of tourism, the limited contribution of liquor revenue to the economy, and why comparisons with dry States like Gujarat continue to surface in public discourse.