With barely hours left for a crucial meeting of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) high power committee on the bar licence row, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) organ Chandrika has come down heavily on moves to reopen the closed bars on the argument that this is the only possible pragmatic solution to the impasse the government is faced with.
In its editorial titled ‘Who stands to lose if bars are not reopened?’ published on Wednesday, the editorial notes that the division on the question of renewing licences to 418 closed bars is between those who opposed reopening the bars on ethical grounds and those who want the bars to be reopened in the name of pragmatism.
“The first has the backing of society, especially families. The second is the demand of drinkers and liquor barons,” the editorial says.
The editorial also rejects prohibition as an impractical option.
“Everybody knows that prohibition is not practical, but the government can bring down liquor consumption by reducing liquor availability. Closure of bars was the first creative step in this direction. Those who are getting ready to permit reopening the bars with an eye on money bags of the liquor barons are cutting at the root of a principled decision,” the editorial concludes.
KMYF warningThe Kerala Muslim Yuvajana Federation (KMYF) has warned against the attempts to reopen the 418 bars under the cover of the High Court judgment on the issue.
A press note issued by the KMYF here said the government and political leadership should turn their attention to the social problems created by liquor rather than helping bar owners to reap profits. It called on the United Democratic Front leaders to take a decision on reopening the bars only after understanding the pulse of the people.
On Plus Two issueThe federation urged the government to take a serious view of the High Court judgment on the Plus Two issue. It called for steps to address the flaws in allotting Plus Two batches.
