KRISHNAGIRI: The state government should remove toddy from The Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, urged S Nallasamy, field coordinator of the Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement.
"Only in Tamil Nadu toddy tapping has been prohibited. The ban should be revoked as toddy is not liquor, but food. It has been over 38 years since Tamil Nadu banned toddy tapping. None of the committees formed to study prohibition and alcohol policy have recommended a ban on toddy.
The committees have demanded an increase in its production and consumption which have declined. Similarly, the production and sale of imported liquors and Indian-made foreign liquors are continuously increasing, which should either be reduced or banned," Nallasamy said after attending the toddy liberation conference held at Matlampatti in Dharmapuri district on Sunday.
Toddy tappers should not be arrested for tapping toddy, he further demanded.
"If the state government does not lift the ban on toddy, it will have to face the consequences and opposition from toddy tappers and farmers. Filing cases against toddy tappers is a violation of the Constitution. They are not criminals; the real crime is the government action against them," Nallasamy added.
Seconding him Esan Murugasamy, founder, Tamizhaga Vivasaigal Padhukapu Sangam, "Banning toddy in Tamil Nadu is an injustice to farmers. There are 80 lakh farming families in Tamil Nadu, which has over three crore votes. To put an end to the decades-long injustice done to these people, the Tamil Nadu government must revoke the ban on toddy tapping. If not, in the upcoming Assembly election, all three crore members of these farming families will boycott the DMK."