Tamil Nadu: Residents of Tirupur celebrate victory after TASMAC shops closes following protests

Following a hunger strike by the public near Samalapuram, Tirupur, the TASMAC shop there has been shut down
The alcohol consumers started a protest of their own after the TASMAC shop was shut down
In Udumalaipettai’s Jallipatti, a place where four main junctions meet, a TASMAC shop has been functioning despite people’s protests

Following a hunger strike by the public near Samalapuram, Tirupur, the TASMAC shop there has been shut down.

Despite public’s opposition a TASMAC shop was opened on June 12, 2017, in Tirupur’s Samalapuram Panchayat.

Women give away their Mangalsutra

As there was no action taken against their complaint, the Samalapuram people begun an indefinite fast near the Eshwaran Temple.

On the second day of hunger strike, the District TASMAC Manager Durai, Assistant Police Commissioner Shantha Devi and Palladam Tahsildar Shanthi met those people to discuss the issue.

The women were very keen on leading the protest until they get justice. When told that the shop would be closed in a month’s time, the protestors did not oblige.

To everyone’s shock, a woman named Velumani, gave away her Mangalsutra to the officers and spoke out in anger. This sudden act of the woman made the officials become speechless.

Followed by this incident, a discussion was held in favour of the public.

The localites spoke in praise of their victory.

However, alcohol consumers have started a protest in Mangalam road, Samalapuram, demanding the government to open the TASMAC shop that was closed after the protest.

They hung hoardings with the slogans on trees and posts. In support of their protest, they were provided with free alcohol supplies and food by a gang. It was very obvious that the protestors were headed by the gang.

At 2 PM, the protesters were taken to the collector’s office to hold a meeting with him.

Women sung songs of grief:

In Udumalaipettai’s Jallipatti, a place where four main junctions meet, a TASMAC shop has been functioning despite people’s protests.

Earlier, when people demanded the removal of the liquor shop, it was informed that the officials would remove the shop in two weeks. But even after a month the shop was not removed.

On June 20, 2017, people surrounded the shop to begin an indefinite protest. They were shouting slogans to insist their demands. Women were seen to be singing songs of grief (Oppari), which caught everyone’s attention.

The Assistant TASMAC Manager Gunasekaran met the people on the spot and asked the protestors to suggest a new place for the shop. In reply to that the people said “It’s not our job to find a place for a TASMAC shop”. The negotiation ended up in argument.

In order to keep the people from entering into the TASMAC shop, the police men parked their jeep to form a block.

The protest has lasted till the evening.