KOZHIKODE: At a time when criticism against the Kerala government’s liquor taxation policy is intensifying within the United Democratic Front (UDF), two influential community leaders have adopted a more moderate stance on the issue, potentially easing political pressure on Chief Minister V D Satheesan.
This comes amid attempts by sections of the opposition and community organisations to mobilise resistance against the state government’s decision to reduce taxes on low-alcohol beverages.
Speaking to reporters in Kozhikode, Mohammed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, president of the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, said his organisation’s stand on alcohol and narcotic substances is no different from Islam’s. However, he made it clear that the government is free to frame policies it considers appropriate.
“The Samastha believes that alcohol and drugs should not be encouraged under any circumstances. This is not just Samastha’s position but also the position of Muslims and Islam,” he said.
At the same time, Jifri Thangal emphasised that the organisation is not demanding that the government withdraw its liquor policy.
According to him, governments are elected to govern and formulate policies based on broader public considerations rather than the views of any particular religious community.
“The government does not govern based on the views of Muslims or any other religious community. Every government has its own policies. Some may deserve criticism, while others may receive support,” he said.
Notably, Jifri Thangal’s remarks differed in tone from the criticism in Suprabhatham, the mouthpiece of the EK faction of Samastha, and have been widely viewed as a measured response to the ongoing controversy.
Earlier, Joseph Pamplany, archbishop of Thalassery, also adopted a conciliatory position. He welcomed the chief minister’s statement that discussions could be held regarding taxation on high-alcohol-content liquor.
His remarks were seen as a departure from the sharper criticism that some community organisations had expressed following the government’s decision to provide tax concessions for certain alcoholic beverages.
The debate intensified after senior Sunni leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar strongly criticised the government’s move to reduce taxes on low-alcohol beverages.
Addressing a programme organised as part of the centenary celebrations of Samastha, he urged the government to withdraw the tax concession.
He argued that the decision would primarily benefit liquor vendors and could contribute to increased alcohol consumption in society. He said the state should move towards prohibition rather than adopting measures that could encourage the sale of alcoholic beverages.
Decision after liquor policy: Excise minister
The decision on the sale of low-alcohol beverages will depend on the decision of the UDF and the government’s liquor policy, Excise Minister M Liju has said. The government intends to reduce liquor consumption in a phased manner, and the excise department will begin work on the new liquor policy after the assembly session. The policy will be formulated after wide-ranging consultations, he told reporters In Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
