Chennai: Demanding the passing of a law to make Total Prohibition a national policy, the VCK’s women’s conference urged the Union Government to adhere to the provisions of Article 47 of the Indian Constitution that enjoin the State to raise the level of nutrition and public health by prohibiting intoxicating drinks and drugs under the Directive Principles of State Policy.
The conference for the eradication of alcohol and narcotics, organized at Ulundurpet in Kallakurichi district on Wednesday, was attended by thousands of women cadre of the VCK and addressed by many leaders of alliance parties, including the ruling DMK, CPI and CPM. It passed a dozen resolutions with the first one seeking the invocation of Article 47 of the Constitution.
Among the other resolutions that made specific demands to the State government were the adoption of a resolution in the State Assembly urging the Union Government to declare prohibition as a national policy and to increase the allocation of funds under the 16th Finance Commission for States opting for prohibition.
States that adopt a total prohibition policy should also be compensated with a special fund, the VCK said and also wanted that demand to be included in the Assembly resolution.
Demanding a timetable from the State government for the closing down of liquor shops to ensure the implementation of total prohibition, the women’s conference said use of narcotic substances had been on the rise in Tamil Nadu with 86,000 men and 22,000 women addicted to cannabis, 1,71,000 men and 6000 women to opium and 1,92 lakh men and 10,000 women getting a high from sleeping pills, according to surveys.
The women’s meet wanted the government to involve women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the awareness campaigns carried out to fight against alcohol and narcotics, set up de-addiction centres in all the government hospitals and also start rehabilitation programmes for those recovering from addiction-related problems.
It pointed out that rehabilitation centres were opened in seven government medical colleges in 2020 with the TASMAC (the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation that procures liquor from distilleries and breweries and sells them through its outlets) funding it but was discontinued in 2023. The conference wanted an allocation of Rs 100 crore by the government to wean away people from alcohol and drugs.
Another resolution wanted alternative jobs to be provided to the employees of the TASMAC and said that it had 30,000 persons working for it as the process of closing down the liquor shops should not rob them of their livelihood.
Acknowledging the fact that it was the responsibility of the community to wean away people from liquor and narcotic use, the conference said that all democratic forces – NGOs, political parties, socio-cultural organisations, media and other associations - should be integrated in the campaign against alcohol and drugs, whose use was now rampant in the State.
