Archbishop of the Thiruvananthapuram diocese (Latin rite) M. Soosa Pakiam has urged the government to ensure that the sale of liquor is brought down considerably in the State.
Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, the Archbishop said that there was consensus among all political parties that the people of Kerala must not fall prey to a growing ‘drinking culture.’
“The liquor policy of the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government far exceeded our expectations. We hope that the restrictions put in place will continue, notwithstanding whether the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is rooted for prohibition or abstinence. While the restrictions could lead to the possibility of increased demand for spurious liquor and narcotic substances, such problems must be dealt with the necessary measures,” he said.
On claims that liquor prohibition has taken a toll on the tourism sector, he asked, “Is it right to promote tourism at the cost of society’s good and the future of the youth.” He said the sector was being wrongly portrayed as heavily dependent on the availability of liquor.
To a query, he said that the Church had not succeeded in convincing the faithful to withdraw from alcoholism and lavishness. “While our efforts have led to a certain amount of success, we have a long way to go in achieving our goal. Our various efforts, including awareness campaigns and setting up of de-addiction centres, have proved to be beneficial to several people,” he said.
He added that it was the policy of the Church to refrain from accepting any form of donations from those engaged in liquor business.
