The recent Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which has resulted in the loss of 58 lives and numerous hospitalizations, has sparked widespread outrage in the state. There is now a growing chorus demanding stringent measures to curb illicit liquor and advocating for a complete ban on TASMAC. Adding her voice to these calls is a former police officer, who echoes the sentiment of returning to the Kamaraj era when alcohol was completely prohibited, aligning with Mahatma Gandhi’s views on the matter.
Anusuya Daisy Ernest, a retired police officer who once oversaw security on the night of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and survived the suicide bombing, expressed deep regret over the current administration’s shortcomings. During her tenure as ADSP in the Prohibition Enforcement Wing, she recalled maintaining strict control over the region, effectively curbing the presence of illicit liquor but she expresses current deaths are alarming.
In a recent interview with reporters, Anusuya Daisy Ernest reflected on her extensive career in law enforcement. “I served in the Prohibition Enforcement Wing in Nagapattinam district from 2014 to 2015, and later as ADSP in Villupuram headquarters from 2016 to 2018, currently I’m retired. Currently, illicit liquor is a big issue that has claimed more than 50 people and it is very sad to think about it because people are drinking poisoned liquor like this, and it feels like a big infectious disease. When there is infectious disease people will die like this and now it is worse than that.”
With 37 and a half years of dedicated service, including her impactful tenure in Nagapattinam, she recounted her efforts to eradicate alcohol-related issues. Anusuya Daisy said, “Even in this advanced age of science it is painful to witness such deaths because I have worked in the police department for 37 and a half years and today, I have retired and am getting paid from people’s tax money today, it is giving me so much pain. I worked in Nagapattinam district for a year and a half in the Prohibition Enforcement Wing, and I used all of my knowledge, strength, and police training to eradicate alcohol there.” She added, “People put up a banner on Tiruvarur road thanking me for eradicating liquor menace, so much so that I eradicated the liquor, the poisonous liquor, the illicit liquor, and arrack, I controlled it all. After completing it and working successfully for one and a half years without any incident, there was not even a single lock-up death, not a single criminal died, and we seized a substantial amount of illicit liquor. I can say that because we ensured we gained the trust of the public that the police will take action, we changed their minds towards the police and I could be successful in my work. Sometimes, there are police who are accomplices with brewing criminals for mere bribery, but not all. Today there is no poisonous liquor death throughout Tamil Nadu because it is because of the police and the superintends successful work.”
Later, Anusuya likened the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy to a catastrophic train accident, drawing from her experience in the Villupuram district, which once encompassed Kallakuruchi before it became a separate district. During her tenure there, she emphasized, there were no incidents like the Sakthi School riots or the Marakkanam hooch deaths. Reflecting on this, she expressed satisfaction that their effective measures then had prevented such tragedies. She also recalled overseeing the Kalavarayan Hills and its surrounding seven subdivisions without encountering similar issues.
However, she lamented the current wave of deaths linked to illicit liquor sales and poisoning, describing it as a disgrace to the entire police force. She noted with concern that even local ward members now know where illicit liquor is sold in their areas, and urged everyone, including councillors, to take responsibility and act vigilantly to combat this scourge. She concluded by urging the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to take decisive action to completely prohibit and shut down TASMAC. Pointing out that this incident marks the second tragedy during his tenure, she emphasized the need to prioritize the lives of the people of Tamil Nadu. She advocated for a return to the era of Kamaraj, when TASMAC was banned, as a necessary step towards ensuring public safety and well-being.
2016-2018-களில் ஒரு சொட்டு கள்ளச்சாராயம் இல்லாமல் ஒழித்துக்கட்டினோம் … கள்ளக்குறிச்சியை கண்ட்ரோலில் வைத்தது எப்படி? – அந்த பகுதிகளில் மூன்று ஆண்டுகள் ஏடிஎஸ்பியாக பணியாற்றி ஓய்வு பெற்றப் பெண் அதிகாரி சொன்ன தகவல்..! #Chennai | #Kallakurichi | #Police | #KallaSarayam |… pic.twitter.com/XPaZv2Q0oZ
— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 24, 2024
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