Movement members plan to ‘offer’ toddy to Gandhi on birth anniversary

Addressing newspersons, S Nallasamy, organiser, Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement, said that the members of the movement have planned to offer ‘padayal’ (offering) to the statue of Gandhi in Chennai. 

“We will reach Chennai on Tuesday (October 2) and place toddy products before the statues of (Mahatma) Gandhi and Kamarajar on Marina beach and also give a padayal,” Nallasamy said.

Nallasamy pointed out that when the government started MGR centenary celebrations, the movement had appealed to allow the members to tap toddy. “Even though the celebrations got over, we are still fighting for the right to tap toddy,” Nallasamy stressed.

Expressing concern over the steep decline in the number of Palmyra trees, the members said that the farmers would not have sold the trees, had the government earlier lifted the ban of tapping toddy. Meanwhile, Nallasamy claimed that the distribution of Rs 11 lakh to the farmers by actor Vishal was a test to their self-respect.