Express Focus -- KERALA -- by Indian Express

December 08, 2000

Message in the bottle

The state beverages corporation is perhaps the sole beneficiary from the Keralite’s love for liquor, reports R GOPAKUMAR

Never mind that hooch tragedies are a regular feature. Liquor consumption in Kerala has only increased, and liquor sales remained steady even in October, the month in which illicit liquor claimed over 40 lives in Kalluvathukkal in Kollam and Pallipuram near Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala is second only to Tamil Nadu in liquor sales, according to Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC) which holds the monopoly of procurement and distribution of Indian Made Foreign Liquor in the state. It’s said that Keralites spend more money on liquor than on rice: while the liquor industry is worth Rs 7,500 crore a year, rice consumption is worth only Rs 2,880 crore, say anti-liquor activists.

On an average, a Keralite consumes 8.3 litres of hard liquor a year. The increasing influence of social drinking, an accepted practice in certain communities, and the limited avenues for enjoyment in the state could be some reasons for the rising level of alcoholism in the State, says psychologist Devdas Menon.

Social drinking, where the father and son join in drinking sessions, is generally accepted in certain communities in the State while it is taboo for some others, he said. ‘‘Liquor habits are contagious and can spread wildly,’’ he said.
Interestingly, the biggest beneficiary of the liquor tragedy has been the state beverages corporation. Those who depended on cheap illicit liquor moved over to liquor marketed by the corporation. The demand for cheap liquor went up immediately after the hooch deaths, with drinkers in the lower income group turning up in hundreds.

KSBC managing director Yogesh Gupta says that in September and October, the corporation sold 5.56 lakh cases each of IMFL in the state (contributing a revenue of Rs 7.13 crore to the State exchequer), up from the 4.90 lakh cases sold in October 1999.

In the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts which witnessed the liquor deaths, the number of liquor cases sold last month was 46,000 and 53,000 respectively, which represented ‘‘steady sales,’’ said Gupta. Not less than 350 full bottles of cheaper varieties of rum alone get sold from the city’s KSBC outlet every day.

The movement to stamp out liquor gained support in the aftermath of the hooch deaths, with the All Kerala Prohibition Council and Kerala Catholic Bishops Prohibition Council, a forum of bishops in the State, asking for total prohibition.
According to the bishops’ council chairperson Bishop Susapakiyam, making liquor unavailable would be the only effective step towards prohibition. ‘‘Earlier, we were campaigning against the misuse of liquor. Now we are targeting prohibition,’’ he said.

He pointed to the church’s success story in Pozhiyur village in Thiruvananthapuram district, where an entire community stopped brewing arrack.
‘‘But we are up against a big monster, the abkaris, whose power and sheer clout can nail us down. They can foist false cases, unleash goondas and do anything and go scotfree. We need the government’s support to tackle them,’’ he said.
Susapakiyam said it was unfortunate that the Government and police authorities were making liquor easily available. Public awareness programmes could go ahead only if liquor sales are stopped, he said.

The Government derives considerable income from liquor sales. The KSBC expects a 20 per cent increase in revenue this year also. While it contributed Rs 950 crore to the State exchequer last year, the revenue earned till August this year has touched Rs 600 crore.

Psychologist Devdas Menon also pointed out that Malayalam films and television serials were replete with drinking sessions, and these images offered a strong temptations to drink. Films and television serials are a major draw with the Malayali.

Prohibition activist Ramdas said it was the increased allowances and high wages which were prompting workers and Government employees to hit the bottle.
‘‘It is very unfortunate that this sort of thing is happening in Kerala, which is otherwise known for its high social indices,’’ he said.