PATHANAMTHITTA: NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair has said that the government should review the ban on bar licences and the decision on such crucial issues should be based on pragmatism and not on principles.
Inaugurating the function after dedicating Mannam Smarakam, built by the Chengannur NSS Union, in Chengannur on Thursday, Nair said that prohibition is not the ideal solution for the social evil. Instead, the government should promote campaigns for abstinence from liquor.
He warned of serious consequences in the wake of total ban on bars and phased liquor ban.
“Even in the US, the experiment on liquor ban turned out to be a total failure,” Nair said. “The decision on serious matters like this should not be based on ideological or principle considerations, but after consensus at various levels,” Nair said.
“After spending crores of rupees for renovation and quality upgrading of bars under the policy framework of the government, the ban will raise serious questions on compensation for the huge investment made by bar owners and unemployment to thousands of people,” Nair said.
Instead of a phased prohibition, the government took the decision in a haste to serve the interests of a few, he said.As a social organisation, the NSS has the right to raise issues before the people and the government, he said. Nair urged the clergy members, who campaigned for the liquor ban, to review the stance they had taken on the issue.
On Plus-II, he said that the Government lacked clarity in the appointments of lecturers in Plus-II schools.
“The NSS is always against commercialisation in education sector,” he said. He said that the NSS, which is celebrating its centenary, will give thrust on undertaking various social development projects for the overall welfare of the members of the community.
As part of the celebrations, the multi-speciality hospital at Pandalam will be dedicated to the people in two months, he said.
An old age home at Pandalam on a 10 acre plot will be set up in a year. An Ayurveda hospital at Nilambur and a law college at Kottiyam are other projects, he said.Earlier, Nair unveiled the statue of NSS founder Mannathu Padmanabhan in front of the new union building complex, and inaugurated the `3.5-crore auditorium-cum-union office.
NSS registrar and union president K N Viswanathan Pillai presided over the function. NSS union presidents Harikumar Koyickal, Pandalam Sivankutty, Balakrishna Pillai,
Rajagopalan Pillai and Sasikumar, director board member P N Suresh and NSS union president Sukumara Panicker were present at the function.