COVID-19: Disciplining the tipplers of Tamil Nadu

The Madras High Court ordered the closure of TASMAC liquor shops in Tamil Nadu on Friday, a day after the state government ended the 44-day dry spell. Despite the government’s crowd control arrangements, including erecting bamboo barricades and staggering timings based on age groups, there was a mad rush for liquor with people throwing social distancing norms to the wind. Worried about the emergence of new coronavirus clusters, the High Court decided to close the shops till the lockdown was lifted and asked the state government to make necessary amendments to the law to allow online sales of liquor.

There have been calls for prohibition in Tamil Nadu for some time. Yet, deaths have occurred due to consumption of illegal brews. Further, prohibition could encourage bootlegging and crossing over to other states. The most potent argument in favour of prohibition is that alcohol addiction is often the cause of domestic violence. But domestic abuse has been on the rise even when liquor was unavailable. While money could also be blown on alcohol at a time when families are facing starvation, the state had restricted the quantity of liquor to be sold to each person.

The Tamil Nadu government desperately requires revenue to repair the economic damage due to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. The need for money and the lack of a proper infrastructure to supply liquor through online booking and home delivery have prompted the government to approach the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order. After all, liquor generated revenue to the tune of Rs 31,158 crore in 2018-2019.

The per-day revenue on average is Rs 90 crore, making it one of the state’s biggest cash generators. After the current 10-15 per cent price hike, Thursday’s sales are estimated to have fetched the state a whopping Rs 140 crore.

The drastic High Court decision would not have come about had people avoided crowding. There is a lesson here not just for tipplers, but all people. The Koyambedu market cluster and the spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu was also a result of social distancing norms being violated. The people have to cooperate and wake up to the new reality if the state is to win the battle against COVID-19.