Anti-liquor activists’ march to the Secretariat on Oct 23

To protest against the State govt’s anti-people attitude

Anti-liquor activists will organise a people’s march to the Secretariat on October 23 in protest against the anti-people liquor policy of the government, a press note issued by the Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran has said.

This is a continuation of the satyagraha organised in front of the Secretariat on September 26. The government has adopted an anti-people attitude of not heeding to the rising protests against the liquor policy. This does not bode well for a democratic government, the press release said.

It is ironical that the government maintains on the one hand that its liquor policy aims at reduction in the use of liquor and on the other hand increases the number of liquor outlets and thereby increases the availability of liquor. This is also a naked violation of the promise relating to the availability of liquor given in the LDF’s election manifesto, the press note said.

The government maintains the tourism industry took a hit because of closure of liquor shops. The answer to this is the figures on tourist arrivals available with the Tourism Department. Even after the closure of the liquor outlets there was an upswing in the arrival of tourists and in the income from such arrivals. Compared to 2014, 1,15,053 more tourists arrived in Kerala in 2016. The increase in domestic tourists was to the tune of 14,77,124. Compared to 2014, the income from tourist arrivals showed an increase of ₹4,774 crore.

Tourists come to Kerala to enjoy its natural beauty and not to drink liquor. What they need is an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. What they fear is communicable diseases, mounds of garbage and street dogs, the press release said.

Another contention of the government is that after the closure of bars the consumption of liquor has gone up. In the three years from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2017 the consumption of foreign liquor went down by 8,65,60876 litres. Even though the consumption of beer and wine increased during this time there was a reduction of 34.7% in absolute alcohol, as stipulated by WHO. There was also a reduction of 7.47% in the volume sales of alcohol.

Right way

That reducing the availability of alcohol is the sure shot way to reduce consumption of alcohol is an established fact. After the Supreme Court ban on wayside liquor shops the use of liquor came down by 94,48562 litres during April 2017 when compared to April 2016. These figures, the press note said, were compiled by ADIC India.

The government is pushing Kerala to a big social disaster, the press note added.