Liquor agitations leave Kerala government dazed

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

A spate of anti-liquor agitations from the powerful Christian and Muslim communities in Kerala has placed the Left Democratic Front state government in a quandary.

The agitations are against the government's new liquor policy which considerably slashed the duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor and permits opening new beer parlours in tourist spots.

The ruling front is worried that communal consolidation will take shape. Although the Hindus, another powerful community in the state, have kept out of the fight till now, the Bharatiya Janata Party has extended full support to the Christians and Muslims in the matter.

The United Democratic Front Opposition, led by the Congress, too, is planning to join the bandwagon. The UDF which had, when in power, banned arrack and restricted new liquor outlets as part of its policy to usher in complete prohibition in Kerala, is expected to start organising anti-liquor rallies soon. Its leaders are scheduled to meet in Aluva near Kochi next week to chart out its campaign.

The proposed agitations, it is expected, will create problems which the LDF can ill manage at this juncture. In fact, it might even turn out to be another 1959 for the Left government. In 1959, the Congress, with the help of Christian and Nair communities, had rose against the first Communist ministry, headed by E M S Namboodiripad, and brought it crashing.

Till now, Chief Minister E K Nayanar and comrades had been well supported by a friendly Centre. But now, with the recent developments in New Delhi, they find the situation totally uncertain and uncomfortable.

What is worrying Nayanar even more is that bishops from different denominations have also joined the anti-liquor campaign -- and that, when the LDF was expecting support from them. After the Bishops Conference of India allowed considerable freedom to the faithful in voting, the LDF had made considerable gains in Christian belts in the last election, despite the massive support the arrack ban generated for the UDF.

The LDF government had earlier even dropped its move to open about 1,000 liquor outlets to please the Church. However, now the government cannot back out of its decision as its very credibility, which has more than once been questioned, depends on it.

Although the government has reiterated its resolve to continue the arrack ban, the Church feels the decision to cut the IMFL duty and the order permitting beer and wine parlours in tourist spots, will undo the ongoing partial prohibition in the state. They feel that opening new bars in tourist areas would result in the mushrooming of liquor outlets throughout the state.

Nayanar, meanwhile, claims the present agitation is the result of a 'misunderstanding'. He said the proposal for new bars will be implemented only after due considerations. He has deputed State Excise Minister T Sivadasa Menor and Education Minister P J Joseph, a Christian himself, to pacify the agitators.