Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party president and MP Thol Thirumavalavan, on Wednesday, October 2, sought the Tamil Nadu government to pass a bill in the legislative assembly to bring a national policy for alcohol prohibition. He was speaking at the alcohol and drug eradication conference conducted by VCK in Ulundurpet, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. In the conference, he also criticised the role of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremos MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa in standardising liquor business in the state.
“In 1971, Kalaignar Karunanidhi opened liquor shops after initially implementing alcohol prohibition. He had demanded that states enforcing prohibition should be compensated by the then Congress government, but no funds were provided. Due to the financial strain, he was forced to reopen the liquor shops. While this decision can be debated, it's important to note that he later closed these shops in 1974, advocating for a national-level prohibition policy. The real question is, who reopened the shops after that? And why is there no discussion about who not only reopened them but also established TASMAC?” he asked.
He continued, “Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation – TASMAC, which was created to control the sale of alcohol in Tamil Nadu, was set up by a later government. What role did MGR and Jayalalithaa play in this? These are critical points that often go unaddressed. Did DMK leader MK Stalin open the liquor shops. I’m not defending anything, but it's essential to understand the political manoeuvring behind this narrative… No one seems to mention that during MGR's rule, liquor shop licences were auctioned, and during Jayalalithaa’s tenure, the government itself took over the sale of alcohol, making it legal and standardised—a system that continues to this day.”
The VCK leader also said that he would not hesitate to move away from electoral politics and turn into a social movement, to achieve his goal of total alcohol prohibition. “They are considering us as average politicians. I wish to tell you this. Thirumavalavan would rather move away from electoral politics and turn the party (VCK) into a social movement, like Periyar and Ayya Vaigundar, to ensure welfare of the people. Thirumavalavan will never go back on his decisions and I don’t have that need. My hands are clean,” he said.
In the event, Thirumavalavan also said that he has not tasted alcohol in his life, even when during international travel or while working in the forensic science department. During the start of the meeting, he said that it was an apolitical event with an agenda for the welfare of the people. Earlier, when the VCK extended an invite to the state’s main Opposition party – AIADMK, and to actor Vijay’s newly launched Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), it drew speculations about the party’s coalition with the DMK. “By deputing two of its senior leaders to the conference, the DMK expressed that it is in principle with the VCK in achieving total prohibition. It is a victory for us,” he said.
