The tribal women from Kerala side of Anaikatty are getting ready to launch their second round of protests against the Tasmac shop near the Anaikatty bus stand on Tamil Nadu side. They have announced picketing on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu Road and a hartal in Attapady. Meanwhile, the district administration has hinted that they are buckling under pressure and are looking at options to shut or move the Tasmac store.
Thaikulla Sangam, the organization formed by tribal women in Kerala's side of the hilly forest town, has announced that they will begin their second round of protests against the Tasmac outlet on April 4. While they have announced that they would picket the Kerala-Tamil Nadu Road on April 4, they are planning a hartal in Attapady, the tribal town, on April 11. They say that this time protests would not cease until the outlet has been shut down.
In the second week of February 100 to 150 tribal women began protesting against the outlet, claiming that it was spoiling their men and in turn destroying their families. "Their complaints are that every night the men in their village cross the border only to buy liqour and get drunk. Alcoholism was also not letting the men get to work regularly and leads to them torturing their families," said P Mathan, panchayat president of the neighbouring Veerapandi village. Thaikulla Sangham in a statement said 60% of the liquor sales in that outlet are to Kerala men, especially after the liquor ban in their own state.
Attappady mountain has almost 50 to 60 tribal villages. The women during their last round of protests said that even before the state had banned consumption of liquor, they had banned any liquor or toddy to be made or sold in their villages almost 30 years ago. "We knew how alcohol could destroy families and had understood that their men who were uneducated, could become drunkards if alcohol was allowed," said Mathan who works with these tribal women groups.
Thaikulla Sangam, the organization formed by tribal women in Kerala's side of the hilly forest town, has announced that they will begin their second round of protests against the Tasmac outlet on April 4. While they have announced that they would picket the Kerala-Tamil Nadu Road on April 4, they are planning a hartal in Attapady, the tribal town, on April 11. They say that this time protests would not cease until the outlet has been shut down.
In the second week of February 100 to 150 tribal women began protesting against the outlet, claiming that it was spoiling their men and in turn destroying their families. "Their complaints are that every night the men in their village cross the border only to buy liqour and get drunk. Alcoholism was also not letting the men get to work regularly and leads to them torturing their families," said P Mathan, panchayat president of the neighbouring Veerapandi village. Thaikulla Sangham in a statement said 60% of the liquor sales in that outlet are to Kerala men, especially after the liquor ban in their own state.
Attappady mountain has almost 50 to 60 tribal villages. The women during their last round of protests said that even before the state had banned consumption of liquor, they had banned any liquor or toddy to be made or sold in their villages almost 30 years ago. "We knew how alcohol could destroy families and had understood that their men who were uneducated, could become drunkards if alcohol was allowed," said Mathan who works with these tribal women groups.