At a time when women are forcing the politician's hand to enforce prohibition, a bunch of women are battling it out to reopen a Tasmac (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) liquor outlet on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border.
The authorities had on Friday night downed the shutters of the Tasmac shop at Anaikatty, after protests from tribal women of Kerala under the banner of 'Thaikula Sangam'. On Saturday, 30 women from the Tamil Nadu village, along with 50 men, stormed the streets demanding the state-run liquor outlet be reopened. Shops on the Tamil Nadu side of the border remained closed in protest.
The reason: With partial prohibition in Kerala, a large number of men were streaming in from that state to the Anaikatty Tasmac shop to have a drink. This generated business for many women vendors on the sides.
Police arrested the protesting women on Saturday and later let them off. Vimala Ganesan, a flower seller who escaped arrest after the protest, said the Tasmac shop was never a nuisance and in fact provided them a livelihood. "None of our men are affected by the liquor shop. Some drink, but they don't create problems," she said.
Durga who lives diagonally opposite the shop said. A large number of men from Kerala who come here to drink provide a lot of business to the shops here, especially bakeries and shops selling snacks. Several residents of Tamil Nadu have also set up lottery shops on the Kerala side as TN has banned lotteries.
Chemmeli M, another woman of Anaikatty said the Kerala tribal women "have other motives" to close down the liquor shop on this side of the border. "Shutting down the liquor shop has brought down sales in all the 10 bakeries and eateries on this stretch," said R Manikandan, an employee of a bakery.
Tipplers were also complaining as the next closest liquor shop was in Mankarai, 10km away. "Many of us work and want to relax with a drink . Now we have to make the 10km trip to the shop," said M Vetrivel, a painter.
The Kerala women, however, stood their ground. "Our men squander away whatever they earn, at this liquor shop," said K Lakshmy, a daily labourer. "After Kerala banned bars, men here have changed for the better," said K Vimala of Solaiyur.
Coimbatore district revenue officer D Christh Raj said they were forced to shut the shop after constant road blocks and picketing by tribal women from the Attapady mountains in Kerala.
The authorities had on Friday night downed the shutters of the Tasmac shop at Anaikatty, after protests from tribal women of Kerala under the banner of 'Thaikula Sangam'. On Saturday, 30 women from the Tamil Nadu village, along with 50 men, stormed the streets demanding the state-run liquor outlet be reopened. Shops on the Tamil Nadu side of the border remained closed in protest.
The reason: With partial prohibition in Kerala, a large number of men were streaming in from that state to the Anaikatty Tasmac shop to have a drink. This generated business for many women vendors on the sides.
Police arrested the protesting women on Saturday and later let them off. Vimala Ganesan, a flower seller who escaped arrest after the protest, said the Tasmac shop was never a nuisance and in fact provided them a livelihood. "None of our men are affected by the liquor shop. Some drink, but they don't create problems," she said.
Durga who lives diagonally opposite the shop said. A large number of men from Kerala who come here to drink provide a lot of business to the shops here, especially bakeries and shops selling snacks. Several residents of Tamil Nadu have also set up lottery shops on the Kerala side as TN has banned lotteries.
Chemmeli M, another woman of Anaikatty said the Kerala tribal women "have other motives" to close down the liquor shop on this side of the border. "Shutting down the liquor shop has brought down sales in all the 10 bakeries and eateries on this stretch," said R Manikandan, an employee of a bakery.
Tipplers were also complaining as the next closest liquor shop was in Mankarai, 10km away. "Many of us work and want to relax with a drink . Now we have to make the 10km trip to the shop," said M Vetrivel, a painter.
The Kerala women, however, stood their ground. "Our men squander away whatever they earn, at this liquor shop," said K Lakshmy, a daily labourer. "After Kerala banned bars, men here have changed for the better," said K Vimala of Solaiyur.
Coimbatore district revenue officer D Christh Raj said they were forced to shut the shop after constant road blocks and picketing by tribal women from the Attapady mountains in Kerala.