Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Ramadoss poser on prohibition

— Photo : M. Vedhan

FIRM ON HIS STAND: PMK founder S. Ramadoss addressing a conference of the party’s women wing in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: Despite imposing prohibition, if Gujarat has progressed industrially and economically, why cannot Tamil Nadu take a cue from that State, asked Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss on Saturday.

The Gujarat example dispelled the argument that enforcement of prohibition would rob the State government of enormous resources, Dr. Ramadoss told a large gathering of women at a conference organised by the PMK’s women wing on Pulla Reddy Avenue here.

Noting that he had visited Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s home district Tiruvarur a week ago, the PMK leader said he could observe there “wide prevalence” of illicit liquor business. This also negated the reason adduced by the Chief Minister that the sale of liquor through retail outlets of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) was being done to prevent distribution of illicit liquor.

Dr. Ramadoss recalled the observation of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai that no civilised government would lift prohibition. At the time of withdrawal of the prohibition policy in the early 1970s, Rajaji had commented that the move would cause a great harm to future generations. “Kalki” K. Krishnamurthy, Tamil writer and journalist, had even run a journal to propagate the cause of prohibition.

Reading out three resolutions at the end of the conference, which was the 32nd meeting of the PMK women’s wing, Dr.Ramadoss wanted Mr. Karunanidhi to declare that total prohibition would come into force on January 14, the “day of Tamils.” Each woman, whose husband had died of the habit of drinking, should be given monthly compensation of Rs.3,000.

The government should provide “free, compulsory and quality education” to children of such women and this arrangement should go on till the children completed higher education.

G.K. Mani, PMK president, said the party’s programme on prohibition had received a huge response from the people of the State.

R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways, said Jammu and Kashmir was another State following the policy of prohibition.

Sowmya Anbumani, president of the party’s green wing, Pasumai Thayagam, explained how fewer number of government schools were located in select wards of the Chennai Corporation compared to the number of TASMAC outlets. Sri

Muthukkumara Swamy Thambiran of Thiruvavaduthurai Adhinam, and Nirmala Rajan, president of the women’s wing, addressed the meeting.

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