Thiruvananthapuram: The Catholic Church and the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) government in Kerala are involved in serious dispute over the latter’s move towards a more liberal liquor policy.
Incidentally, the squabble occurred at a time when the CPM is facing criticism over a series of political murders, and the head of the Syro Malabar Catholic church, Mar George Alancherry is facing prosecution in a land deal.
The bishop of Thamarassery in north Kerala, Remijios Inchanani, said the decision of the state government to allow liquor bars in the state was a violation of its promise to voters to curtail liquor outlets.
“It is another Ockhi disaster,” the bishop said, referring to the recent cyclone that took many lives in the state, and in which the state government was accused of delaying the warning to fishermen.
Inchanani said the government had taken the people of the state for a ride by publicising its plan to curtail liquor consumption, even using film stars for an advertising campaign, and then doing just the opposite after coming to power.
Acknowledging that the state government accrued significant revenue through the tax on liquor, the bishop said the government should not go to any length to generate money even if it was facing a revenue crunch.
Countering the bishop’s charges against the government, veteran CPM leader Ananthalavattom Anandan said if the church so loathed liquor consumption, it should show the courage to prevent those who consumed liquor from attending church.
Anandan went further in his criticism of the church, adding that the state’s clergy were in fact seeking permits for distilleries to make wine, which is a stronger spirit than toddy. The CPM leader challenged the church to reveal what steps it had taken to ensure prohibition.
Meanwhile, state excise minister T.P. Ramakrishnan said no new liquor bars would be allowed in the state, and that the ones that were being permitted to reopen were those that had been shut on the basis of a court order.
Earlier this week, the state excise department had permitted reopening of bars in panchayats that have a population of at least 10,000 people.