Banking on lottery, Muri's luck runs out - Banned in state, yet tickets sell daily; wannabe mukhiyas speak up against addiction

CHHANDOSREE, TT, Muri (Ranchi), Nov. 26: When livelihoods are dicey, people depend on luck. That's why thousands of people obsessively buy lottery tickets in Muri (West), incidentally a banned business in Jharkhand.

It's an addiction that's ruining homes in Muri (West) panchayat, about 62 km from Ranchi, where, perhaps for the first time, mukhiya contenders are talking about it while canvassing for support for the ongoing rural polls.

The hub of lottery trade is near Subernarekha river, which acts as the border between Jharkhand and Bengal, allowing agents in and around Muri to walk the 150-metre-long bridge to buy tickets in bulk from boys of the neighbouring state, where it is not banned.

They come back and sell tickets to Muri villagers. On the bridge, some eight to 10 young boys from Jhalda, which is a place in Bengal's Purulia right across the connector, sit and sell lottery tickets. Clusters of cyber cafes in Muri are crowded with people checking lottery results on the Internet.

Last week, The Telegraph met a group of Jhalda boys doing brisk business. They had tickets of Dear Tender, each worth Rs 10 and promising Rs 10,000 as prize money. The boys charged Rs 2 or 5 extra for profit. They also gave extra add-ons, such as darshan of "auspicious" fish swimming in buckets, which of course came at a cost, another Rs 10 or Rs 15.

"It is Saturday, please see the fish, it will bring you good luck," sellers persuaded the buyers, some of whom agreed, many haggling over the price of this extra edge to luck.

When told lottery was banned in Jharkhand, the Jhalda boys shot back, saying it was legal in Bengal. But, Jharkhand agents from villages like Lupung, Piska, Kocho, Babhandih, Tirla and others, who came and bought wads of lottery tickets to sell in their villagers, did not reply.

Ask people in Muri (West), a panchayat with a 5,000 population, mostly of daily wagers and farmers, and four prominent villages Badamuri, Kansidih, Tirla and Babhandih, why they buy lottery tickets, and most say they do so out of habit.

Few can articulate the fact that the ticket seems to be the sole key to their dream for a better life in a place 62km from the state capital but where a ration card is a luxury and promised roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana nowhere to be seen.

But, it's a costly habit, and just like booze, is ruining budgets of poor families, with many men squandering up to Rs 100 or more daily to better their lottery chances.

At least two mukhiya contenders and two women vying for panchayat samiti membership have geared their panchayat poll campaigning around ending this rampant sale of lottery tickets, banned by Jharkhand in November 2008 under section 12 of Lotteries Regulation Act, 1998.

Lottery is one burning issue of Muri (West) panchayat, in addition to the need of inclusion of thousands of names in the list for ration cards and construction of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. "There are three basic problems, but asked about priority, each of us will have our own choices. For me the lottery issue and ration cards are most important," said Santosh Mali (35), contesting for mukhiya.

Mali, the husband of the present mukhiya Mithila Devi (30), feels lottery was proving most unlucky for villagers. "It is nothing but gambling. Lottery gula ghor puraye deye (Lottery burns houses)," he said, when asked why it is his top poll agenda. "As mukhiya my wife tried to prevent its sale but we need administrative support to bring an end to this illegal business. Our people walk across the bridge and buy tickets from Bengal. How do we stop this?"

Rival mukhiya nominee Prakash Kumar Singh agreed. "Be it addiction to alcohol or lottery, both are the same. Youths and middle-aged men fight for money at home to buy lottery tickets. Police never ever succeed in catching anyone. If I am elected, I will demand the administration frees my panchayat from the clutches of this illegal activity."

Droupadi Devi and Teju Devi, nominees for panchayat samiti membership, said the same.

"I have never heard of anyone winning good money through lottery in and around the panchayat. But addiction among men for lottery is so much that they can sell off their household goods to buy tickets," Droupadi Devi said.

"It is an illegal activity that brings poverty and disgrace," Teju Devi added.

Muri policemen refused to comment. But, Rajesh Kumar, a former station in-charge, said lottery tickets were sold in villages in a very hush-hush manner. "We need the support of people to catch offenders, which we don't get."

Muri (West) panchayat votes on November 28