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Young Indians Fight Restrictions on Alcohol

Prohibition is in force in one of India's most important states. Across the country, there are "dry days." Advertising alcohol is forbidden. The health minister is talking about banning drinking from Bollywood films. And the citizens of its most progressive city and commercial capital, Mumbai, are supposed to have a government permit before they can be served a shot of the hard stuff.

Yet attitudes are dramatically shifting with India's erratic rise as an economic superpower.

Young beer- and wine-quaffing Indians — by far the largest population group — are taking on what they call the "morality police" — among them Suketu Talekar, who's setting up his own microbrewery. He says it'll be the first in India.

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Philip Reeves is an award-winning international correspondent covering South America. Previously, he served as NPR's correspondent covering Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.