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Majitha hooch tragedy: Death by negligence

CM Bhagwant Mann’s strong words — “These are not deaths, but murders” — must translate into action.

Editorial

Updated At : 06:54 AM May 14, 2025 IST

THE hooch tragedy in Punjab’s Majitha block, which has claimed at least 16 lives and left several others battling for survival, is a grim reminder that the lessons from past disasters remain unlearned. The echoes of the 2020 liquor deaths that claimed 121 lives in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur still haunt Punjab, and yet, the state finds itself again in the grip of a lethal liquor racket. This is not just a case of criminal greed; it is also an indictment of systemic failure. The suspension of the DSP and SHO of Majitha for gross negligence is a small step. But such routine scapegoating masks a deeper rot — an unholy nexus between law enforcement and the illicit liquor trade. How else can one explain the unchecked movement of toxic ethanol, reportedly bought online and diluted into deadly brews, making its way through villages unnoticed?

The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.

The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia

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Majitha hooch tragedy: Death by negligence

Editorial

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