Suriya Sivakumar Criticises Tamil Nadu’s ‘Liquor Politics’ Amid Hooch Tragedy, Calls for Deeper Debate

Tamil actor Suriya Sivakumar took to social media to express his sorrow at the tragic passing of 47 people due to the consumption of illegal liquor in Kallakurichi, a district in Tamil Nadu. On Friday, Suriya openly voiced his distress, while casting doubt on the effectiveness of the current liquor policies in the state, as well as the political discourse surrounding them. Scroll down to find more details.

The Jai Bheem actor wrote, “We have been seeing Liquor Policy debate only during election time from all the parties. We have been witnessing that the people of Tamil Nadu who did vote with faith that their lives will get improved are constantly watching the plight of the governments that have ruled us for more than 20 years with TASMAC and forcing people to drink (sic).”

Take a look at Suriya’s X Post:

இனி ஒரு விதி செய்வோம்..! அதை எந்நாளும் காப்போம்..! #Kallakkurichi pic.twitter.com/z3lTZLtdYs

— Suriya Sivakumar (@Suriya_offl) June 21, 2024

He emphasised the grave consequences one might face when becoming dependent on alcohol supplied by TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation). HE further added, “When people addicted to Rs 150 alcohol from TASMAC are unable to afford it, they are preferring Rs 50 poisonous liquor (sic).”

Suriya has voiced his opinion that the issue of alcohol addiction isn’t merely an individual challenge, but indeed a societal concern that has far-reaching effects on both family structures and local communities. He added, “When are we going to realise that alcohol addiction is not an individual issue and it is an issue of the whole society of each family? Many years of violence should be stopped immediately where the government itself encourages consumption of alcohol (sic).”

Take a look at the video:

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: At least 25 people died and several hospitalised after reportedly consuming illicit liquor in Kallakurichi district.

Latest visuals from Kallakurichi Government Medical College pic.twitter.com/7NTzv3NclS

— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2024

The actor is urging authorities and political factions to take steps that could prevent such heartbreaking incidents from happening again. He’s confident that with the right planning, we can ensure these disasters do not repeat. Furthermore, he holds a promising belief that the Chief Minister will bring some positive reforms to the Alcohol Policy with a keen interest in people’s welfare.

In the Kallakurichi district, a tragic incident took place where almost 47 people lost their precious lives, and over 100 ended up in hospitals due to consumption of unauthorized liquor. As an update on today’s situation, three people, believed to be behind this illicit liquor circulation, have been taken into 15 days of judicial custody and warehoused in the central prison of Cuddalore.

Govindaraj, Damadoran, and Vijaya, the defendants in question, were escorted to the regional joint court by the local police force of Kallakurichi. Following their appearance in court, they were moved to the Central Jail in Cuddalore. MK Stalin, the Cheif Minister, declared a relief fund of Rs 10 lakh for the grieving families of the deceased, and a sum of Rs 50,000 for the individuals undergoing medical treatment. These individuals are currently looked after in various healthcare centres including the Government Medical College in Kallakurichi, as well as other prominent hospitals located in Salem, Villupuram, and the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research aka Jipmer in Puducherry.