Clashes in Kerala over opening of liquor outlet

Follows implementation of more liberal liquor policy

Agroup of prohibitionists in Kerala tried to prevent the opening of a new liquor outlet in Munnar yesterday, leading to clashes and police intervention. The protests were led from the front by women in the locality.

Incidentally, the protest happens a day after the ‘male monopoly’ in staffing at liquor outlets was broken by Shiny Rajeev, 43, who took legal recourse to get appointed to a Kerala State Beverages Corporation outlet in Ernakulam district.

She had qualified in a written examination in 2010, and had been fighting a legal battle since 2012 to be appointed to a beverages outlet on the basis of her qualifying in the examination. She finally got the posting this week.

The protest in Munnar follows a more liberal liquor policy put in place by the Left Democratic Front government, after the previous United Democratic Front government had brought a series of curbs on liquor consumption and aimed for total prohibition in the state.