Imran Khan clarifies his PIL against drinking age limit

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

June 18, 2011 - 12:00 AM IST

Imran Khan clarifies his PIL against drinking age limit

Just a few days back the news that the drinking age limit was raised from 21 to 25 made headlines in almost all daily publications and news channels. Ever since there have been various discussions and debates citing both the pros and cons of this new law. Bollywood's young and budding star Imran Khan recently filed a PIL against this law and spoke to the media yesterday on his stand.

Clarifying his stand, Imran said, "I would like to state for the record that I do not endorse the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol can damage health, ruin careers and tear families apart if it is abused. I know this because I have seen it first-hand with friends and family. Nor am I motivated by selfish reasons; I am 28 years old, and free to consume alcohol if I choose. I am raising this debate on a personal level, not as a star. This is why I have chosen not to speak about it on a platform while promoting my film.

Imran Khan clarifies his PIL against drinking age limit

The reason I have taken this initiative is that I am troubled by a growing perception that young people need to be "handled" or "managed". That we are incapable of making rational, informed decisions for ourselves. I cannot deny that we may be at least partially to blame for this; I have participated in campaigns encouraging young people to vote for the past two years, and the response has generally been quite disheartening. However, that is a discussion for another time. As members of a democratic society, it is our right, and sometimes our duty to stand up and ask if our government is doing the right thing.

The recent decision by the State Government to raise the legal drinking age from 21 to 25 is, in my opinion, illogical and counterproductive. I do not believe that this new law will stop under-25s from drinking. It will merely encourage them to purchase fake ID cards and to bribe officials if they are caught. It will increase corruption and give rise to a new breed of criminals; bootleggers. There will be absolutely no shortage in the amount of alcohol supplied to people under 25. All that will be accomplished is that we will have made criminals of 30% of our population, and nurtured a new black market trade of alcohol.

It is my opinion that this law is in violation of our Constitutional rights. At the age of 21, we are legally permitted to vote, to marry, have children, to enlist for military service, and if need be, to give our lives in defence of our country. If a person is an adult in the eyes of the government, they should be free to indulge in any legal activity of their choice, without concern for clauses and add-ons to the law. I am afraid that if we stand by and let this pass, we pave the way for any number of laws to curtail our liberties. What is to stop someone from proposing a limit on the number of children a couple can have, in order to manage our steadily-growing population?

We all have a tendency to complain about things without taking action, which is why I have decided to approach the courts and actually do something. They are mediators, and are in a position to judge the merit of my opinion. It is not my intention to antagonize anyone with disruptive means of protest, rather I hope to bring up this debate and resolve it in a productive way."

Imran has also initiated a signature campaign called "Power To Youth" on a social networking website for the cause, where he already has people supporting his campaign.

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