Thiruvananthapuram: A group of prohibitionists in Kerala tried to prevent the opening of a new liquor outlet in Munnar on Friday, leading to clashes and police intervention. The protests were led from the front by women in the locality.
Incidentally, the protest happens a day after the ‘male monopoly’ in staffing at liquor outlets was broken by Shiny Rajeev, 43, who took legal recourse to get appointed to a Kerala State Beverages Corporation outlet in Ernakulam district.
She had qualified in a written examination in 2010, and had been fighting a legal battle since 2012 to be appointed to a beverages outlet on the basis of her qualifying in the examination. She finally got the posting this week.
The protest in Munnar follows a more liberal liquor policy put in place by the Left Democratic Front government, after the previous United Democratic Front government had brought a series of curbs on liquor consumption and aimed for total prohibition in the state.
On Friday, a number of women were present in the group of protesters who tried to prevent the functioning of the new liquor outlet.
The tense situation that prevailed from morning, in anticipation of the opening of the outlet, gave way to a skirmish when the protesters attempted to stop the first client who walked out after purchasing liquor.
Police then intervened to bring the situation under control. Police had to resort to a cane charge, and also took a few people into custody.
More policemen were deputed to the location after the protesters continued their opposition and sat in protest near the outlet to prevent its functioning. Protesters said it was unacceptable to have a liquor outlet in a thickly populated area.
