The Supreme Court's Thursday order asking the Kerala Government to allow the 312 bars, which had been given notice for closure byThursday night, to continue to operate till September 30, has raised serious questions about the sincerity and intelligence behind the Government’s new policy envisaging total liquor ban over the next ten years.
The order of the apex court, which also found elements of discrimination in the liquor policy, forced the Kerala PCC executive to ask the party-led UDF Government to call an all-party meet on the new liquor policy while a meeting of the leaders of the ruling coalition reasserted that there would be no change in the policy.
The Opposition lDF and other critics interpreted the court order as an indication to the possibility of the failure of the Government's liquor policy while several UDF partners blamed Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Congress for creating the situation by announcing the policy without proper homework and discussions even within the front.
As part of its liquor policy, the Government had on August 27 served notices to the 312 bars which were still operating in the State to down their shutters forever at 11.00 pm on Thursday. The Government had decided not to renew the licences of 418 other bars remaining closed since April 1 for lack of facilities.
At the same time, the liquor policy allowed the retail liquor outlets to function for another ten years saying that ten percent of the total number of such shops will be closed every year. The Government allowed the bars at five-star hotels and 121 beer-wine parlours to function, based on which the apex court raised the issue of discrimination within the policy.
“The Supreme Court order is a slap across the face of the UDF Government for its harebrained policy,” said Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan. “What the court has taken seriously is the discrimination inherent in the policy by which people who can afford five-star lifestyle can enjoy booze while the common man is denied that,” he added.
legal experts said that the apex court’s observation on the discrimination seen in the liquor policy might affect its survival. “The Government can argue the Judiciary cannot interfere in a policy of the Government. But that is only a matter of precedent and, more importantly, any policy cannot be discriminatory,” said a senior lawyer of the Kerala High Court.
Boozers were seen celebrating the court order with fire-crackers, dances and extra ‘happy pegs’ at Kochi bars. “They say there is God for the poor. Now I feel that the poor boozers have their saviours too,” said Velayudhan, a boozer who had reached a Kochi bar Thursday morning thinking that this would be the last day he would be boozing in a Kerala bar.