Politics over prohibition

The death of an anti-liquor crusader protesting atop a 120-foot high mobile tower in a town panchayat in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu has drawn the nation’s attention to the fickle prohibition policy of the governments. The novel way of courting death has served to bring together a number of political parties on an issue worth fighting in the next Assembly election in Tamil Nadu next year.

Sasi Perumal, the martyr in this case who is known as a “Gandhian”, was demanding the closure of a particular liquor shop located near a school and a church. This IMFL (Indian-made Foreign Liquor) retail outlet of TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd.) was opened in 2012 amidst protests from the residents there.

Organized protests have been going on for the closure of this shop for the past 7-8 months under the banner of ‘People’s Movement Against Liquor.’ The recent decision of the Kerala government to implement prohibition in a phased manner seems to have encouraged the movement in Tamil Nadu.

PMK, MDMK, DMDK, Congress, BJP, VCK, and TMC comprising both national and regional parties, unleashed joint and their own individual protests against the government’s liquor policy. A state-wide bandh was also called which received considerable support in some places. The agitation has gained momentum and is spreading vigorously like the anti-Hindi movement in the mid-1960s.

Every party is now compelled to come with a firm policy on prohibition and express it in unambiguous terms. People seem to expect that party manifestoes for 2016 election would clarify their stand and measures they would take. The PMK has been advocating prohibition for a long time going back to the DMK rule long before other parties woke up. Its leaders claim a 25-year-old agenda for ban of liquor as well as tobacco.

DMK leader Karunanidhi requested the Governor to prevail upon the State government to promulgate an Ordinance or adopt a resolution in the Assembly to implement prohibition. But, why no steps were taken in this regard in the long rule of the DMK or what is the sudden urgency now is anybody’s guess.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi supporting the agitators assured that his party would formulate a new liquor policy if voted to power. But, he is in no mood to advise all Congress-ruled State governments to introduce prohibition. MDMK leader Vaiko is in the forefront of many protests and courting arrest.

However, his vociferous demand for closure of TASMAC shops has raised a counter question about his silence on the proved evil of smoking and tobacco use – a trade in which his family is said to have vested interest. Recall, prohibition was introduced in Tamil Nadu in Salem district in 1937 by the Congress government formed by Rajaji.

It was extended to the entire province and continued till 1971. It was the DMK government under Karunanidhi (contrary to the avowed wishes of the party’s revered leader Annadurai who died in 1969) that lifted prohibition in 1971 when Tamil Nadu along with Gujarat had the unique distinction of following prohibition policy.

Protests by the Congress under Kamaraj and the Swatantra parties were in vain. In 1974, the DMK government facing a formidable challenge of the breakaway group under MGR, who then supported prohibition and staged a massive victory in a bye-election immediately after parting company with the DMK, chose to close arrack and IMFL shops in 1974. Evidently, it was a political strategy.

MGR too changed his stand after coming to power and reintroduced sale of toddy and arrack in 1981 for revenue, and established TASMAC in 1983. Prohibition was again introduced in 1988, but lifted within two years. Both DMK and the AIADMK were patrons with little difference. In 2003, TASMAC was formed which took over the sale of IMFL. What is strange is the sudden involvement of several political parties in the prohibition movement.

Most of these are small parties that cannot hope to come to power to implement what they are promising. The bigger ones are in dire need of forging a strong electoral alliance for which the current prohibition movement provides an issue that can appeal to various sections of the voters.

Dr S Saraswathi