As of 27 June 2024, the death toll from the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy has risen to 63, as reported by the District Collectorate. Currently, 78 individuals are receiving treatment across various hospitals in the state. Among them, 48 are being treated at the Government Kallakurichi Medical College and Hospital, and 66 have been discharged from this hospital, according to hospital authorities.
Additionally, 9 people are undergoing treatment in Puducherry, 18 in Salem District, 1 at Royapettah Hospital in Chennai, and 2 in Villupuram District, all at government hospitals. The total number of people affected by consuming illicit liquor has now reached 229. Across Tamil Nadu, a total of 88 individuals have been discharged from hospitals following treatment.
Tamil Nadu witnessed a heartbreaking scene during the tsunami in 2004, with numerous bodies being cremated together. That was a natural disaster. However, the recent deaths due to illicit alcohol have created an artificial disaster orchestrated by a corrupt nexus involving police, officials, and politicians. The sight of bodies lined up for cremation on the banks of the Komugi River in Kallakurichi’s Karunapuram has deeply pained the community as every household displays banners featuring the deceased, who died of illicit liquor.
The cries of grief have yet to subside. Widows and mothers who lost their husbands and sons are overwhelmed by their irreparable loss. In Karunapuram, Veeracholapuram, Madhavachery, Siruvangur, Madur, and Seshasamudram, 63 individuals have lost their lives, while another 156 are hospitalized. The illicit liquor has devastated the families of about 60 daily wage laborers in Kallakurichi who relied on labor for their next meal. It has robbed women of their husbands, elderly parents of their sons, and hungry children of their fathers. Families with uncertain incomes are left in despair.
This isn’t the first instance of deaths due to bootleg liquor in Tamil Nadu, and there seems to be no assurance it won’t recur. The deaths in Kallakurichi, Vikatan reports, are a stark reminder that the government, under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has not learned from previous tragedies like those in Marakkanam and Chengalpattu last year. The blame for these deaths cannot solely rest with the manufacturers and sellers of illicit liquor. Politicians, police, and government officials who colluded and supported this crime are equally culpable. The fact that such a large number of deaths occurred just 150 meters from a police station in a district capital is a shameful indictment of the entire police force.
While the government claims district collectors are monitoring methanol stocks in factories, illicit liquor continues to circulate freely. Panchayats in towns could prevent the influx of bootleg liquor if they chose to, but in many villages, liquor sales rights are still being auctioned.
The issue of illicit liquor persists alongside the government’s reliance on revenue from legal liquor sales, which it argues funds essential welfare schemes. The Prohibition and Excise Department reported a significant increase in revenue from liquor sales during 2023-24, totaling ₹45,855.67 crore, including ₹35,081.39 crore from VAT and ₹10,774.28 crore from excise duties, surpassing the previous year’s revenue by ₹1,734.54 crore. This stance contrasts with neighboring Kerala’s phased approach to prohibition, which still regulates alcohol sales confined to only hotels, bars, and airports, and continues to legally sell toddy.
Historically, total prohibition existed in Madras State until 1971 when the DMK government, under M. Karunanidhi, allowed the sale of arrack and toddy. In 1983, TASMAC, the state-owned liquor distribution entity, was established, monopolizing both wholesale and retail alcohol sales benefitting the few in power.
It is reported that there is a growing consensus in Tamil Nadu, particularly among women from daily labor communities, for the closure of all TASMAC outlets, citing the destructive impact of alcohol on families. Political figures like TN BJP chief Annamalai advocate for a gradual phase-out, proposing toddy as an alternative. Economists suggest government-controlled mineral extraction and sales to offset revenue losses. The Economist also mentions Amul Dairy, the Gujarat-based Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd., and similar cooperatives like Aavin, a Tamil Nadu State Government-owned cooperative, which achieved its highest-ever business turnover of ₹12,880 crore in the fiscal year 2023-24, showing a notable 9 percent increase from the previous financial year. This highlights an opportunity for the Tamil Nadu government to collaborate with cooperatives to enhance and align their revenues accordingly. They argue for initial political consensus followed by public support for a phased approach to implement these changes.
(with inputs from Vikatan)
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