Prohibition only way to stop hooch, says Thirumavalavan

Madurai: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan has said that total prohibition is the only way to prevent deaths due to hooch, which was a phenomenon seen across the country. Opening toddy shops or regulating Tasmac won’t help solve the problem, he told reporters here en route to paying tributes to six dalit people massacred by thevar community members in Melavalavu in 1997.
The VCK will conduct a women’s conference on Sept 17, on the birth anniversary of Periyar. “The state govt passing a bill to increase penalties for illicit liquor is a welcome sign but that won’t be enough. The methanol mafia should be found and penalized,” he said. Thirumavalavan recalled people at Kallakurichi telling him that Tasmac shops should be shut. The state govt should start closing down Tasmac shops in a phased manner to redeem the goodwill on the govt, he said.
Thirumavalavan said they are observing Melavalavu massacre so that the message on social justice in local bodies is loud and clear. The victim’s relatives should be provided adequate compensation as per SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act, he said.
Meanwhile, various outfits played tributes to the victims of the massacre at Ambedkarnagar on Sunday. Madurai MP Su Venkatesan also paid tributes to the martyrs.
Dalit panchayat president Murugesan and six other elected representatives of the community were hacked to death on the bus when they returned to the village after visiting the Madurai collector office on June 30, 1997. Sixteen people were convicted in the case. While three were released in 2008, the rest were released by the AIADMK govt for good conduct in connection with MGR centenary celebrations in 2019. The dalit community had termed their release as politically motivated.