Shocking videos of Tamil Nadu children consuming liquor go viral; PMK, MDMK express concern

Chennai: With shocking videos of some children in Tamil Nadu consuming liquor going viral, PMK and MDMK on Wednesday expressed concern over such incidents and stepped up demand for implementing prohibition in the state.

Two videos of children being prodded to drink alcohol by some persons had gone viral on social media. Police in Tiruvannamalai, from where one of the videos had emanated, have nabbed two persons and are searching for another four in connection with the matter.

PMK said making children drink and recording it amounted to 'sadism', adding it was a criminal act to alter the nature of the kid.

Party's Youth Wing President Anbumani Ramadoss dubbed the incidents as 'evolutionary growth' of policies of the Dravidian parties, referring to government selling liquor through-state run outlets.

Ramadoss, whose party is a vociferous supporter of prohibition, claimed the average drinking age had shrunk from 40 to 13 in Tamil Nadu and said that the instances of children consuming alcohol should not be seen as isolated incident.

"This amounts to affecting the future generation... The government does not seem to be bothered about liquor-related deaths in Tamil Nadu," he said in a statement saying DMK and AIADMK should apologise to the people for such incidents.

Expressing concern over the viral videos and students taking to liquor, Vaiko-led MDMK said that alcohol consumption in the state had affected its very culture and traditions deeply cherished for long.

A meeting of the party's High Level Committee held recalled various campaigns, including a 1,500-km Padayatra and marathon runs for college and school-going students to create awareness on prohibition, organised by Vaiko in support of his demand for prohibition.

The party also proposed to hold another marathon in Madurai in September.

Liquor sales was nationalised by AIADMK government in 2003 with the subsequent DMK regime continuing the policy. Political parties like PMK and MDMK besides many social activists have been pressing for prohibition but the government had often contended that such a step could lead to hooch which has the potential of killing those who consume it.