Ralegan Siddhi, Nov 22 :

Anna Hazare says thet alcoholics should be flogged and shamed in public, a prescription usually given by Taliban. Global Council of Indian Christians(GCIC) condemns Hazare's attempt to talibanise India.Alcaholics needs sypmpatheic mentoring.

The 74-year-old anti-corruption crusader's approach to combat alcoholism shows his medival mind set and scant regard for dignity of human beings. Hazare's way of going after drunkards came to the fore when he spoke of how he got people in his native village here in Maharashtra to give up drinking. He however advocated giving prior warnings before taking any such steps.The social activist said that if anyone after drinking creates trouble he would be simply warned thrice because he is "our man(belonging to our village." The person will also be made to understand that it is not good to drink."But even after warning him thrice if he again drinks then we will take him to temple and he has to swear by God that he won't drink in future.

And even after all this he drinks then we will tie him up to the electric pole in front of the temple and then beat him up so that he gets scared," he said.Hazare justified this type of approach saying it is for the benefit of alcoholics since it will force them to get rid of their habit of drinking out of shame after getting beaten in public.

According to Hazare, alcoholics who have been reformed have told him that but for the action of public flogging they would have lost everything.Hazare's suggestion to the way Taliban used to punish those who did not comply with the Sharia law.

Taliban used to say the same thing. By that analogy, you will possibly have to flog half of Kerala, three-fourth of Andhra Pradesh and about four-fifth of Punjab. Therefore that's quite a tall order."

Writing in his new blog, Hazare himself noted that in his Ralegan Siddhi village with a population of 2,000 people there were "regular fights" due to alcohol.