Association vows to sell toddy bottles on April 16

Addressing the media, S Nallasamy, Convener, TN Toddy Movement, on Wednesday quipped “Enough is enough and political parties including the ruling party have turned a deaf ear to our long pending demands. 

So, we have decided to sell the toddy filled in bottles, which will be brought from Kerala. We will begin our sale of toddy in Tiruchy on April 16,” he said, adding that the movement would support the political parties, which would include toddy tapping and sale in their election manifestoes for the coming assembly elections. 

In spite of decades long protests, the government had shown little consolation, the members said, adding that the political parties which claimed toddy was like ordinary liquor, spirit and foreign made liquor should prove it beyond doubt.  

“The Kerala government has stepped up campaign for full total prohibition and as a proactive measure, more liquor shops have been closed. On the contrary, the Tamil Nadu government was continuously operating Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) outlets since 2003," the convener said.

Asked what would happen if police personnel prevented the sale of toddy in Tiruchy, Nallasamy said, “We want to challenge the state government policy so that the police department should not merely confine us in marriage or community halls. They should book cases and produce us before the court, and we will clear the decks as far as sale of toddy is concerned.”  

The members of the movement said toddy bottles could be sold through TASMAC outlets so that employment opportunity for tappers would increase. 

“We have long been demanding lifting of the ban on toddy thinking that the government will come up with a good solution, but the issue is still hanging in the balance,” said a member of the movement.