BJP eyes LS poll, changes stand on Tasmac bar prohibition in Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: Ahead of the 2024 LS polls, the BJP, which is desperately trying to gain a strong foothold in the state and win a sizeable number of seats, has effected a paradigm shift in its stand on prohibition.
During the 2021 Assembly election campaign, while the DMK and the AIADMK promised prohibition ‘in a phased manner,’ the BJP spoke on total prohibition and said Tasmac employees who lose jobs consequently would be transferred to other government departments. BJP’s state unit chief K Annamalai has now taken a different stand and spoken about "regulating" Tasmac shops and how “responsible drinkers” do not create problems.
Annamalai also said he would submit a white paper on Tasmac shops to Chief Minister MK Stalin within 15 days with a road map to shut 75% of liquor outlets in the next three years and the means to generate additional revenue to make up for the loss. He has also extended support for toddy tapping.
On Sunday, Annamalai said, “Toddy tapping should be encouraged across Tamil Nadu. The white paper will also point out how toddy could be an effective alternative to IMFL and how toddy production and jaggery made of it would generate additional revenue of Rs 1 lakh crore for the state exchequer in the next five years. The first conference of the BJP would take place in Villupuram reiterating the party’s stand supporting toddy tapping. Such conferences will eventually be held in other districts too.”
A senior BJP leader told TNIE that L Ganesan, the current Governor of Nagaland, had supported toddy tapping at a conference organised by the Toddy movement in 2009. Later, former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and a few second-rung leaders also supported toddy. But, this is the first time the party’s state president has announced conferences supporting the cause.
According to sources, liquor sale has gone up by 22% in Tamil Nadu during 2021-22 and 2022-23. Such a rise has not been recorded in any other part of the country. This year, a total of 2.53 lakh litres of illicit brew have been seized in the state. Following the recent hooch tragedy, a total of 22,000 litres of illicit spirits were seized by police.
Welcoming the BJP’s move, political analyst Tharasu Shyam told TNIE, “Toddy is much better than IMFL and arrack. When somebody is able to consume high-cost IMFL, the government should give room for a low-cost drink like a toddy. Toddy tapping will generate a lot of employment opportunities. This demand has been there for several years. Now, the BJP has hijacked this for political reasons ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. This will earn them the support of farmers, particularly coconut growers.”
As a member of the East Coast Coconut Farmers Association, Shyam said he was happy with this move since in the present situation toddy tapping could be done mostly using coconut trees as the number of palmyra trees has gone down.