Coimbatore: Demanding closure of a Tasmac outlet near Anaikatti bus stand, almost 100 tribal women from Attapady stormed into the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) office here on Wednesday morning. The move comes after the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) officials failed to shut down the outlet on Tuesday evening.
The tribal women had on February 17 come together to form Thaikulla Sangam to protest against the Tasmac outlet located on Tamil Nadu's side of Anaikatti. Demanding closure of the liquor shop, as it destroyed their families, these women had in the past taken out several road rokos, besides a harthal. "On Tuesday evening, some Tasmac officials came to shut the shop down, but some men from Tamil Nadu protested and sent them away," said Thaikulla Sangam's protest coordinator, Murugesan Vaidhyan. Since Tuesday's closure attempt failed, the tribal women on Wednesday walked into the ITDP office and demanded that immediate steps should be taken to shut down the Tasmac outlet. "Our men and boys easily get liquor from the shop and because of this our families are spoiled," said Vaidhyan.
The women said they would intensify the agitation. "We plan to block Anaikatti Road and picket all government offices till they heed our demand," said Vaidhyan. The tribal women have also decided to set up a "checking-point" of their own on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. "We will check all vehicles crossing the border for liquor bottles."
The tribal women had on February 17 come together to form Thaikulla Sangam to protest against the Tasmac outlet located on Tamil Nadu's side of Anaikatti. Demanding closure of the liquor shop, as it destroyed their families, these women had in the past taken out several road rokos, besides a harthal. "On Tuesday evening, some Tasmac officials came to shut the shop down, but some men from Tamil Nadu protested and sent them away," said Thaikulla Sangam's protest coordinator, Murugesan Vaidhyan. Since Tuesday's closure attempt failed, the tribal women on Wednesday walked into the ITDP office and demanded that immediate steps should be taken to shut down the Tasmac outlet. "Our men and boys easily get liquor from the shop and because of this our families are spoiled," said Vaidhyan.
The women said they would intensify the agitation. "We plan to block Anaikatti Road and picket all government offices till they heed our demand," said Vaidhyan. The tribal women have also decided to set up a "checking-point" of their own on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. "We will check all vehicles crossing the border for liquor bottles."