Thirty women construction workers, affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress, were arrested when they attempted to lock a Tasmac liquor retail shop near Anna bus stand here on Tuesday.
The protesters demanded the closure of all liquor shops that were ruining the lives of women, who were rendered widows as their husbands died following addiction to liquor.
The protest was led by the women construction workers’ union’s district treasurer S. Ammaponnu.
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The agitators said that the government that was giving half-a-sovereign gold for ‘thali’ of poor women was snatching it from them through the Tasmac shops. Opening of liquor shops in huge numbers had resulted in increasing number of alcoholics.
They wanted the government to stop making youths criminals and also not to kill them with the Tasmac shops.
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The social fabric was also being ruined by large-scale sale of liquor, they all shouted.
Ms. Ammaponnu complained that the families of construction workers were the most affected as the workers lost most of their daily wages on liquor.
They denied the family members a decent living and also left them in the lurch.
“The State government should close down the Tasmac shops that are ruining the lives of common people. If the government does not heed our demand, we (women) will lock the shops. We are ready to go to jail,” she said.
The liquor shops should not be seen as a source for the State government to generate revenue but as one killing the people, district secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women Rajalakshmi said.
District functionaries of the AITUC K. Nandasingh and Murugan were among those who were present on the occasion.
Stopped by police
The protesters, who marched towards the Tasmac shop, were halted by a strong contingent of police.
The agitators squatted on the road for a while before courting arrest.