Of kicks and kickbacks….

Heat waves have still not subsided in Menambedu, the scene of hooch tragedy of September 14th, where the killer brew took away 13 lives in a day. People have come out with wall-posters demanding just, proper and unbiased enquiry. ‘Do not go by what the Police says. Root out illicit liquor from this area. Let the enquiry be conducted by honest officials,’ are some of the demands seen in the posters. People strongly believe that police aided and abetted the sale of illicit liquor in the area. But the police have a different story to tell. ‘There is no room for sale of illicit liquor in Menambedu. It is the wedding party that brought it from somewhere’ is what they say. V. Balachandran, Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) said, ‘We understand that illicit liquor was sold somewhere close to the place where the wedding took place and that it was not brought by the marriage party. If there is evidence to prove that police officials erred, we will not hesitate to take action against them.’ Balachandran has also deputed 40 police officials under 5 SPs to camp in Menambedu.

When this question was taken up in the Assembly for discussion, the then Revenue Minister - the present Chief Minister - O. Pannerselvam informed the House that the killer brew was not concocted in Tamil Nadu and that the stuff was smuggled to Menambedu, from Andhra Pradesh. But what is causing serious concern is the fact that the matter did not end with one Menambedu. The nonchalant attitude of the Police - nonchalance obviously due to kickbacks - continues. Another tragedy has occurred now on October 5th, claiming the lives of 40 this time. The latest report says that ten people have lost their eyesight. The victims are all coolies belonging to different areas like Sengundram, Aththivaakkam, Theerthangarai Patti, Kottur, Pattarai, Thiruvallore, etc. What is significant is that Kasthuri and her son, who brewed this illicit liquor, were paying the police an amount of Rs.50,000/- per month so that they could carry on their flourishing business. The fact that Thiruvallore is reputed for illicit liquor is no secret. That is a fact known to even a small kid there. That being so, it is not possible that only the Police were not aware of its existence. 

When the people were asked about the indifferent attitude of the Police, they gave many reasons that are really shocking. What many of them informed is that the Police do not register the complaints from the public. It is said that illicit liquor is sold to a very great extent in Madhavaram Colony, Sendrambakkam. The Police took action in this area and an underground brewery belonging to one Sridhar was identified and sealed. Sridhar’s diary contained the telephone numbers of prohibition enforcement officials, local dhadhas, police officers and politicians. And that clearly shows the truck between the underworld and the officials. Even the first information report has confirmed that in making the killer brew, methanol has been used extensively. The Dean, Stanley Medical Hospital said, ‘When the victims were examined it has been ascertained beyond doubt that they have consumed liquor that had a blend of methanol. Even those who have survived from this tragedy many not live long. ’Methanol is something that is accessible only to licensed chemical factories. How did it find its way to the hands of these illicit operators? It is learnt that methanol is smuggled out of a private company in Manali and reaches their hands. 

Strange. Methanol is considered to be 100% toxic and how could its smuggling go unnoticed? How could the police be lax about it? Nailval, Director General of Police had this to say. ‘At least 50 cases of this nature have taken place since 1991, claiming the lives of a total of 341 so far. The incidence has been very high in Chengalpattu, particularly. It is true that use of methanol is prohibited and restricted. Only 120 factories have been licensed to use it. Clear guidelines have been given, governing the use of methanol. But the fact remains that they do not adopt the guidelines. Some companies who have not been licensed bring it from Maharashtra. Some companies sell it clandestinely. We are taking an all out effort to stop all this,’ he added.

‘We have carried out extensive search in the past 11 days and have confiscated intoxicants worth Rs.1,70,000/-. We have arrested 7476, including 1642 women. A total quantity of 15,175 litres of illicit liquor has been seized. Therefore, it cannot be said that the police are nonchalant or indifferent,’ said Paramveer Singh, Director of Police. ‘But the Police could have informed of these commendable acts earlier. Why did they not do so?’ quipped a reporter for which the Director of Police had no answer. The Chief Minister announced a relief of Rs.25,000/- for the dead, Rs.10,000/- for those under treatment and another Rs.5,000/- for the funeral expenses of the dead. He expressed his ‘heartfelt condolences’ and yes, there ends the matter! Who is worried about the recurrence of such tragic deaths? Who cares? Who bothers? When somebody has to be really worried about ‘saving his chair’ what is the need for thinking about innocent lives?

An enquiry commission has been appointed under Ponmanickavel and 22 have been suspended while 55 have been transferred. The VAO of the area has also been transferred. In the present circumstances, the immediate question to be addressed is not ‘why people drink illicit liquor, knowing fully well that they are risking their lives?’ The real immediate question is the laxity of the prohibitive machinery. Hooch, illicit liquor, is a natural part of the Dravidian parties as is violence. They have been euphorically extending their indirect support to illicit liquor right from the beginning. In fact their regional and other representatives occupying higher rungs of party offices have been doing this business rather openly. That is a plain and simple fact and there is nothing secret about it. ‘The Government opened arrack and toddy shops in the year 1971. MGR won the 1977 election with the promise that he would root out arrack in the State. But he didn’t pay much attention to this question after he became the Chief Minister. When Jayalalitha became the Chief Minister in 1991, the first file that she signed was to clamp the illicit trade in arrack. Kalignar was paying mere lip service to the prohibition of illicit liquor, since he knew its prevention would affect his own party men in the first instance,’ said a senior Communist.

Ku. Pa. Krishnan, President of Tamil Bhoomi said, ‘The Tamil Nadu Government has been following double standards in respect of prohibition for a long number of years. It has prevented the sale of arrack and toddy in the State, while allowing wine shops to run successfully all over the State. This is the root cause for all the maladies.’  He is of the view that toddy shops could be permitted in the State at least to solve problems faced by coconut farmers. ‘If the Government has qualms about opening toddy shops, how are they justified in allowing the wine shops,’ he asks. ‘Either bring about a total prohibition in the State or allow toddy shops to be opened.’  It cannot be denied that bribe to police officials is playing a big role in the sale of illicit liquor. But there is no point in blaming the police alone. It is more than obvious that it has the blessings of the politicians. Blessings are received from these demi-gods after due ‘naivehyas.’ We know and understand that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has ‘numerous and various’ immediate problems to face. It is our earnest desire that he looks at this problem too in its proper perspective and put an end to illicit liquor claiming innocent lives again and again.

--Saravanan
Tr. by Hari Krishnan


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