Cardinal Mar George Alencherry flays hasty liquor policy

Kochi: Major Archbishop of Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Mar George Cardinal Alencherry, on Monday expressed surprise at the speed with which the UDF government took the decision to close all liquor bars. He also wondered whether the government would have the will to implement the decision on banning liquor completely in 10 years.

“It is not pressure of the church that led to this decision by the government. The dimension of the decision has gone beyond what the anti-liquor activists were campaigning for. We will have to see whether the government has the political will to implement this decision,” Mar Alencherry told a TV news channel.

The Major Archbishop, obviously, was referring to the government decision to close all the liquor bars, while the anti-liquor fronts, including the Temperance Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) only sought the closure of 418 ‘sub-standard’ bars.

The government had also gone one more step ahead by declaring to bring complete prohibition in 10 years by closing down the outlets of the Beverages Corporation in phases. “Church has always stood for helping the individual take the decision to give up liquor and not a forced ban. We will have to see whether the government has the will to implement this decision,” Mar Alencherry observed.

The anti-liquor front of the KCBC, meanwhile, asked the government not to go back on its decision. “Reducing the availability of liquor is in tune with the stand of the World Health Organisation which advocated supply reduction as a logical step to wean away people suffering from alcohol addiction,” a statement issued by KCBC Madhya Virudhasamithi secretary Adv. Charlie Paul said.