PMK demands TN govt to shut down wine shops

Chennai, Dec 26 (IANS) The political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), has demanded the Tamil Nadu government to shut down wine shops in the state.

PMK founder-leader, S. Ramadoss, said that shutting down wine shops will be a New Year gift for the people of the state, adding that alcohol addiction has disoriented Tamil Nadu.

Ramadoss said that Tamil Nadu has the highest number of widows in the country. He also said that alcohol is the prime reason behind the state witnessing a large number of road accidents.

Ramadoss said that the number of suicides is also high in the state, which is a fallout of alcohol consumption. The PMK leader said that many people are suffering from mental disorders owing to the high level of consumption of alcohol.

The PMK leader also quoted the statement of Union Minister of State, Koushal Kishore, that giving one's daughter to a labourer in marriage without drinking habits is much better than giving her in marriage to a high-level civil servant with drinking habits.

He said that the minister had said that he is an MP and his wife is an MLA and even then he could not prevent his son from becoming addicted to alcohol, leading to his death at a young age and leaving behind his wife and 2-year-old child apart from his parents.

Ramadoss said that the government has a responsibility in preventing the ill effects of alcohol, adding that alcohol consumption is the main reason for pulling the state backward.

The PMK leader said, "To reduce the incidence of women becoming young widows and children becoming orphans, wine shops should be shut down in the state and this has to be a New Year gift to the people of Tamil Nadu."