Coimbatore: Tribal residents from the Anaikatti area have submitted a petition to the Coimbatore District Collector, demanding the removal of a private bar operating in their locality.
The petitioners claim that a private club named 'Friends' is functioning in Anaikatti with the support of politicians, leading to numerous health issues and deaths within their community due to alcohol consumption.
Murugavelu, the president of the South Indian Tribal People's Association, stated, "After our protest in 2019, the TASMAC shop in Anaikatti was removed. At that time, the district administration assured us that such establishments would only be set up 23 kilometers away. However, several members of our community have died in the past three months after consuming alcohol sold at private clubs currently operating in the Anaikatti area."
He further added, "As per the central government's guidelines, there should be no liquor shops in areas inhabited by tribal communities. We request the removal of the private bar in our area. Moreover, there have been continuous incidents of land grabbing, with our community members being made addicted to alcohol and their lands being seized. We urge the government administration to cooperate and issue an order prohibiting the buying or selling of tribal lands."
Murugavelu also highlighted issues with the local fair price shops, saying, "The goods are not properly distributed in the fair price shops operating in our area. Many in our community are facing health issues due to the products currently being provided in these shops. We have been submitting petitions regarding these problems for the past four years, but there has been no response so far. We request appropriate action to protect our community."
The tribal residents hope that their petition will lead to swift action from the district administration to address their concerns and improve their living conditions.
