Movement To Begin Toddy Tapping
Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement has announced that it will begin tapping toddy from palm and coconut trees across the State on January 21 defying the Government ban. In a release, Co-ordinator of the Movement Nallasamy said that toddy should be removed from the alcoholic liquor list and made part of the food items. Toddy tapping was a must to protect the rural economy and the livelihood of the farming community. To end the ill-effects of Indian Made Foreign Liquor on the health of the consumers, toddy tapping had to begin braving the Government ban on the same. Referring to the negative reply from the Government towards toddy tapping, Mr.Nallasamy clarified that the policy decision taken in 1987 was only on whether there should be total prohibition or not.
Having decided against prohibition, it was unfair for the Government to impose the ban only on toddy while keeping the flood gates open for IMFL. The alcohol content in toddy was 4.5 per cent while in IMFL it was 42.8 per cent. Toddy had more nutrient value than the IMFL that was only having chemical. In the reply justifying the ban on toddy, the State Government had stated that Tamil Nadu had only nine distilleries and breweries.
Hence monitoring their functioning and ensuring the health of the consumers was possible. Whereas every palm or coconut tree would be a manufacturing unit and exercising vigil or control would not be possible. Mr. Nallasamy asked when Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Puducherry could exercise control and vigil preventing adulteration of toddy why Tamil Nadu Government could not do the same.
