KOCHI: The glass of liquor will run empty in Kerala. People are writing odes to the alcohol-drenched sunsets over dry throats and plain banana chips. What began with the closure of 418 bars in the state from April this year slowly snowballed into a big issue with some UDF allies, clergymen and different women rights lobbies pressurising the government to clamp down on tipplers. Finally the Oommen Chandy-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government has capped the state’s overflowing liquor bottle and drilled a hole at its bottom. Kerala is heading for a stepwise prohibition. It doesn’t end here. The state will become totally liquor-free in 10 years. It’s done to tackle Kerala’s excessive drinking problem. Currently, Kerala accounts for 16 per cent of the national alcohol sales.
There has been a growing clamour, especially by the womenfolk against the rising alcohol consumption in the state as daily wage labourers spend most (if not all) of their earnings in alcohol, resulting in little money for household expenses and increasing violence within the family.
Withdrawal symptoms
There are a few drops of consolation. Toddy the regional coconut palm-tapped drink with alcohol content of less than around 10 per cent will continue to be available along with wine and beer. The 312 bars open currently will be closed down after the repayment of the remaining amount from the licence fee. Only five star hotels will get bar license from April 1, 2015, the day when the new liquor policy comes into force. The meeting of the ruling UDF recommended the government to announce dry day on all Sundays. This means an additional 52 more dry days in the state in addition to the first day of each month. Sundays, after all, are meant for family, rest and prayers.
Communal bottleneck
Though the Opposition is cautious in its reaction, the decision to ban liquor has created sort of a communal divide. The Congress and a section of people portray it as a move against the Ezhavas, who are involved in the liquor business traditionally. Vellappally Natesan, General Secretary of SNDP, organization of Ezhavas, has asked the state to also ban wine which is used by the Church for the mass service. The church was quick to retort it as ‘blasphemy’.
Chandy Pops out of his Bubbly Image
Chandy has succeeded in wriggling out his pro-liquor image. Having introduced the harsh measures, he has made his enemies virtually bow before his political acumen. In what could be termed as one of the biggest ever decisions in his political career, Chandy has emerged winner, sidelining bete noire KPCC president V M Sudheeran, who has been portrayed for long as the real Gandhian. At the end of the contentious issue that had virtually brought in a split within UDF, Chandy has come across as the clever show stealer.
With the second and third largest partners in the coalition, Muslim League and the Kerala Congress respectively supporting the anti-liquor move, it finally emerged as a collective decision. The minor partners like CMP, RSP, KC (J) and KC (B) have cheered the decision. Anticipating a united stand, Chandy had done enough home work and turned the table by proposing to close down even the 312 bars that are functional as of now. What began as a lone fight by Sudheeran ended with Chandy becoming the champion of morality and social values. “Though it began as a single-man fight, later we could convince other UDF constituents as well. They took up the issue. There’s nothing like the Chief minister stealing the show,” Sudheeran told The Sunday Standard.
Rehabilitation
The UDF has decided to rehabilitate the bar workers. The workers will be sanctioned Bank loans for self employment. Those likely to be jobless after the closure of the BEVCO (Kerala State Beverages Corporation) outlets, including the women workers engaged to affix stickers, will be rehabilitated. Chief minister said, “Five percent of BEVCO’s income will be utilised for the rehabilitation every year.” A rehabilitation fund, Kerala Alcohol Education Research and Compensation Fund(KAERCF) will be constituted to help the addicts. More rehabilitation centres will be opened. A major programme titled Punarjani 2030 will be implemented for the benefit of the addicts and the workers who have been made jobless following the closure of Bars and BEVCO units. Chandy has also requested Keralites to donate a day’s income for the rehabilitation cause.
Empty glasses, drying coffers
What next? The decision to have a total liquor ban in 10 years, would require measures to fill a revenue gap that runs into not one or two, but thousands of crores of rupees. BEVCO sells liquor worth a little over Rs 25 crore everyday through its 338 liquor shops. In 2013-14, BEVCO’s contribution to the state exchequer by way of licence fee, sales tax, gallonage fee and excise duty was approximately Rs 7,600 crore. The total liquor sales stood at a whopping Rs 9,351 crore. Chandy has made it clear that, from October, his government would close down ten per cent of BEVCO outlets every year. He had also said that the government would not let revenue from liquor stand in the way of closing down BEVCO outlets. “The social degeneration, the great toll we had been paying for over indulgence in liquor, several other losses, nothing could compensate for such losses,” he said.
Capping of the bottle
1996 April 1: UDF government headed by AK Antony bans production and sale of Arrack.
2013 July 20: It raises the age for buying or selling liquor to 21 from 18.
2014 March 31: Licence period expires, 418 bars shut as they are termed sub standard.
June 3: High Court gives a month's time to reach a decision.
July 8: HC extends deadline by six more weeks.
July 27: Human Rights Commission allows bars with two-star facilities to function
August 14: HC asks government to submit new liquor policy on August 26, orders inspection of the 418 closed bars.
August 21: UDF decides to have only five-star bars from April 1, 2015. Totalliquor ban in
ten years.