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Karunanidhi raises prohibition bogey

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One More Shot
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Is Tamil Nadu thinking of prohibition again? Well, CM M. Karunanidhi hinted at it recently, but there are differing views on whether it’s coming or not. There are some who say his “mischievous streak” got the better of him for it was a god-sent opportunity to finger the holier-than-thou Dr S. Ramadoss of the pmk. For Big Brother DMK has been waiting several weeks for Ramadoss to respond to its invitation to join as an ally. The CM’s exact words in the DMK organ Murasoli was, “The government is not only considering the demands of Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) employees (who have threatened a strike on August 11 for a raise and better working conditions, a cause Ramadoss has championed) but also that of Ramadoss, made many times earlier, on the re-imposition of prohibition. We will take a good decision soon.”

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The fact that even AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha has not responded to this surprising announcement is an indication that no party has taken him seriously. cpi state secretary D. Pandian feels that “Karunanidhi is only taunting Ramadoss”. The target himself seems bemused, parroting what he’s said before. “Revenue loss can be recovered by better governance, efficient tax collection and cost-cutting. I hope he will liberate the state on Independence Day.” Could this be the CM’s positive gesture to keep the pmk from aligning with the AIADMK? As one political observer put it, “Karunanidhi has riled the Opposition by increasing the power tariff...this might be his way of keeping at least the pmk happy.”

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It’s possible that in the next few weeks Karunanidhi will fall back on his ruse of pretending that he was misunderstood or even deny making the statement, as he did about his wish to retire. It’s the most likely scenario, since he can neither afford to lose the revenue (thousands of crores) nor risk rendering the 36,000 TASMAC staff employed in its estimated 6,400 shops across the state jobless with elections just a year away. “Besides, it’s a given that distributing liquor the day before polling is the way to win elections,” points out a Congress leader.

Retired IAS man and ex-excise commissioner M.G. Devasahayam says, “The CM’s statement is a red herring to create confusion.” But the wily DMK chief could also be “testing the waters”. Devasahayam adds, “He’s probably already factored in that the votes he will lose from the men will likely be compensated for by votes from the womenfolk.”

But it’s an idea that will not fly because vested interests are entrenched in TASMAC. The state had flirted with prohibition on and off till 2001. Karunanidhi, in his first term as CM, suspended prohibition in 1971. Three years later, he re-imposed it, but in 1981, his successor M.G. Ramachandran re-introduced the sale of toddy and arrack only to ban it again in 1987. In 1990, Karunanidhi came back to power and arrack and toddy were flowing in the state. But Jayalalitha came to power in 1991 and they were banned yet again. This flip-flop ended in 2001 with Jaya going a step further and making TASMAC the state’s sole vendor of alcohol.

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Coming to the revenue side, the state hopes to earn Rs 13,742 crore in 2010-11 from liquor sales! That’s one-fifth of the state’s revenue, something that cannot be hiccupped at. And for all its so-called conservatism, the state, and in particular Chennai, now has a happening nightlife culture thanks to the Rs 60,000 crore investments that have poured in. The CM isn’t likely to jeopardise all this.

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