Why all Indians are rule-breakers

4 months ago 3

IF YOU HAVE ever relaxed with a cold Kingfisher beer at the end of a long, sweaty day in Mumbai, the party capital of India, you have almost certainly broken the law. Specifically, you violated section 40 of the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1949, under which you must hold a permit to drink booze. A first offence is punishable by a fine of 10,000 rupees ($115) and up to six months in prison.

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Discipline and punish”

From the July 5th 2025 edition

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