Actor Suriya on Tamil Nadu liquor deaths: ‘Successive govts promoted drinking, prohibition talk only during polls’

“How can we offer comfort in words to those grieving the loss of loved ones to poisonous liquor?” he wrote.

Saying that the “concern, worry, and anger of political parties, the media and the public have all intensified”, the actor wrote that the M K Stalin government’s “swift actions to minimize the loss is some solace” but that “the usual short-term solution for a long-term problem is certainly not effective.”

Funeral preparations in Kallakurichi. PTI

Pointing to a similar incident last year in Viluppuram district, where 22 people died after consuming methanol-laced toxic liquor, the actor said that despite the government’s assurances of taking stringent measures, people were “still dying from the same cause”.

“It is deeply saddening that no change has occurred until now,” said the actor, who is known for his outspoken views on social issues and has often criticised government policies.

Putting the blame on the Government’s door, Suriya wrote: “For over two decades, the people of Tamil Nadu have witnessed successive governments, whom they believed would improve their lives, continue to encourage the population to drink through TASMAC (government-run retail liquor outlets). The ‘Prohibition Policy’ ends up being a mere election-time talking point for all political parties.”

Urging the Stalin government to immediately implement long-term plans for the rehabilitation of alcohol addicts, akin to their efforts in educational advancement for students, Suriya said he hoped that the Chief Minister would take decisions in public interest on the prohibition policy.

Former union minister Anbumani Ramadoss speaks with medics at a government hospital where people who consumed spurious liquor are being treated, in Kallakurichi district, Friday, June 21, 2024. At least 47 people have died due to consumption of spurious liquor and the condition of 30 others is critical, as per officials. (PTI Photo)

“Government must immediately cease the violence they have perpetuated against their own people by encouraging drinking habits for many years. Rehabilitation centers should be established in each district to save those addicted to alcohol and help them recover from the addiction… Only if the Government and political parties act with a long-term vision can such tragic deaths be prevented in the future,” he added.

The actor, along with his wife, Jyothika, runs the Agaram Foundation, which focuses on providing quality education to underprivileged children.

In the wake of the death of three medical aspirants in Tamil Nadu in 2020, he publicly condemned the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), arguing that it was discriminatory and detrimental to students from rural backgrounds.