TVK-TASMAC Chakravyuh: How Is Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Planning To Exit This Maze?

Reams have been written about the Tamil Nadu government selling liquor to its thirsty “Tamizh Kudimagan” (a comic double entendre popular in Tamil films). Equal number of reams have condemned and censured the State peddling liquor. Yet the sale of liquor is high and spirited in TN …in fact it is the revenue keg. The sale of liquor a day before dry days peaks. But the newly elected Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay is now faced with electoral promises. The saying in Hindi, ‘Saamp bhi marein aur lathi bhi na toote’ (the snake should die and the stick should not break) is very appropriate here. Vijay’s first cabinet meeting had TASMAC on top of the agenda. Surprisingly Minnambalam, a Tamil digital news website had surmised earlier that the plan was to close TASMAC outlets and open bars, keeping TASMAC as the nodal procurement agency. Even as confabulations are on, the Minister for Prohibition& Excise K Vignesh talked about the viability of closure of over 720 outlets and launch of a new glitzy avatar of watering holes and bars. “The corruption and swindling by a big syndicate of Rs 3600 crore per year has been stopped. For years 88 lakh cases of liquor have been sourced from distilleries with a commission of Rs 90 per case”, says Vignesh.  In the same breath he claims that there is no intention to privatise! If RK Laxman were to do a cartoon of the TASMAC ecosystem, we might laugh at the caricature of a thirsty guy pushing his way to the barred window to get his spiritual elixir, walk away cuddling the bottle with a side of pickle on a leaf. No wonder a former CM when cautioned by his advisors about lavish cash doles for women said “don’t stress. The thirsty husband will splurge that on TASMAC”. The politics of give and take.