The nexus between local politicians, law enforcement and illicit brewers makes mockery of prohibition laws in the State

Even as this column is being written on Friday at 1 pm, the death toll in Kallakurichi hooch tragedy has risen to 49 with doctors saying that more persons are expected to leave earth to meet their maker. It is only because of the unprecedented increase in the number of persons succumbing to the spurious liquor that this incident has come to national limelight. The truth is that many people lose their lives on a daily basis after the consumption of spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister M K Stalin has declared a solatium of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased and this would help him to buy peace with the people. A commission of inquiry has been set up with a retired judge of the Madras High Court as chairman to find out the reason behind the liquor tragedy with instructions to submit a report within three months.

The relatives of the victims allege that the bootlegging is done with the patronage of the DMK MLAs and nobody can stand up to him. The MLAs representing Rishivandiyam and Sankarapuram constituencies (both belong to the DMK) are a law unto themselves.

“Not even a flower shop will function here without the knowledge of the MLA. How can we accept that he did not know about illicit hooch being brewed here,” according to K Ilavarasu (34), owner of a mobile phone repair shop in Karunapuram who has been quoted by a local newspaper.

R Perumal (35), a resident of Madhavcheri who lost his brother, says, “Hooch will be brought in packets and sold at a common spot in the village. People from the Scheduled Caste community and Most Backward Class community buy them. When it comes to hooch, there is no rich or poor or dominant or oppressed caste. Police will come for inspection, but will silently leave after taking bribe.”

Last year saw 17 persons getting killed in nearby Villupuram district after consuming spurious arrack brewed in the nearby hilly region. Residen”Not even a flower shop will function here without the knowledge of the MLA. How can we accept that he did not know about illicit hooch being brewed here,” asks K Ilavarasu (34), owner of a mobile phone repair shop in Karunapuram.

R Perumal (35), a resident of Madhavcheri who lost his brother, says, “Hooch will be brought in packets and sold at a common spot in the village. People from the Scheduled Caste community and Most Backward Class community buy them. When it comes to hooch, there is no rich or poor or dominant or oppressed caste. Police will come for inspection, but will silently leave after taking a bribe.”

Residents of Karunapuram allege that a lethal cartel of police-DMK politicians-illegal brewers exist in the region. “Those daring to complain against them are silenced once and for ever. Jungle raj prevails in this region,” said a relation of one of the victims.

Prohibition has been found to be a total failure in Tamil Nadu. Dravidian politics thrived on the money generated by the sale of spurious liquor and to generate more money the State Government banned the manufacture and sale of arrack (the poor man's scotch). The daily wage earners toiling in the fields from day break to dusk get some relief when they consume arrack which was available at reasonably low rates. With the Government's decision to ban the production and sale of arrack, thousands of jobs along with the tax revenue from sale of the stuff was lost to the Government. Toddy tapping too has been banned in the State, home to the founders of the Dravidian movement who were not averse to the idea of sundowners.

By early 2000, the private retail outlets too downed the shutters and the public sector Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMC) took over the entire liquor trade in the State. The Government's was the last word on the brand to be consumed by the tipplers and this was a violation of fundamental right granted under the Constitution of India. Only the brands of liquor manufacturers who were willing to part with a fixed amount to the powers that be were allowed to be sold through the retail outlets.

The result was that the market was flooded with poor quality brands which charged premium rates. The daily wage earners were left with no options other than the bootleggers. Had the Government not banned toddy tapping and brewing of country liquor, the mass murders of the kind which we saw in Kallakurichi would not have happened. Period. The objective of this writeup is not to encourage people to take drinks. The illegal stuff that is brewed by bootleggers is made with toxic chemicals like ammonium sulfate and insects like centipedes. There was an instance in Kerala where arrack was made out of ethyl alcohol which was used for preserving dead bodies in medical colleges. Should we furnish more details?

(The writer is a special correspondent with The Pioneer; views are personal)