Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: Why Kattunayakan tribe finds solace in deadly drink

The hooch tragedy in TamilNadu’s Kallakurichi district has already claimed 47 lives. While most of the deceased belong to socially and economically weaker sections of society, nine of them hail from the Kattunayakan tribe.

Sources say a combination of cultural practices and economic compulsions have made illicit arrack a sought-after drink among members of the community, who consume it while staying ignorant of its perils.

Drinking hooch is not a taboo, but a part of the tribe’s culture with its members exposed to the drink from their teenage years. Lack of caste certificate to pursue higher studies or apply for government schemes also keeps the tribe from availing better education and standard of life.

Many youths who drop out of school or don’t apply for college due to lack of caste certificates eventually turn to manual labor for a living. Many of them drink to de-stress themselves, and hooch comes as a cheap and easily available option.

Ingrained in culture

Members of the Kattunayakan Tribes Association allege that many young men fall prey to illicit arrack as liquor consumption is deeply ingrained in their culture. A Iyyanar, who heads the association, told The Federal that the preparation of arrack and offering it to deities is common in his community.

“Preparation and consumption of liquor were prevalent in many villages because it was not considered a taboo in our community. There were days when our men would feed a small quantity of liquor to children. But the situation has worsened now because the arrack is prepared with methanol, and many people have died,” said Iyyanar.

He also pointed out that the high cost of liquor at government-run TASMAC shops has forced people to buy illicit arrack for ₹50 per packet.

“The number of deaths is over 40 now. Our men are forced to live a pitiful life due to lack of education and opportunities. From their childhood, they are exposed to alcohol. We need rigorous awareness and de-addiction programmes. Our children need education and support from the government," Iyyanar added.

Lack of education, awareness

The Federal found that many men and women belonging to the Kattunayakan tribe in Karunapuram village are school dropouts, while some are illiterate.

Deprived of caste certificates, many youngsters in this tribe fail to continue their high school and college education and are forced to work as manual labourers.

Suresh, 45, one of the victims, was a school dropout who worked as a labourer. “He consumed illicit liquor because it was easily available in the village. Several teenagers were also consuming liquor there. It’s shocking that this was not checked by the police. Easy access and the low price attracted people like Suresh,” said Senthil Kumar of the Tamil Nadu Kattunayakan Tribes Association.

Senthil stressed that it is high time the Tamil Nadu government drafted a special programme to provide caste certificates to members of the tribe and re-admit school dropouts to prevent illicit arrack deaths in the future.

Hotspots of illicit liquor

Senior Journalist R Illangovan, who has been extensively covering hooch tragedies in Tamil since the early 1980s, recalled how several villages in Kallakurichi, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri have been hotspots of illicit arrack preparation for many years.

“Cheaper price and doorstep delivery facilitated the consumption of illicit arrack in Karunapuram for many months. Customers can buy a 150 ml packet of illicit arrack for almost half the price of a quarter at a TASMAC shop,” Illangovan said.

He said people engaged in manual labour often turn to liquor to physically and mentally de-stress themselves.

“Many workers believe arrack consumption would relieve body pain as they are engaged in lifting sacks of vegetables and grains as load men. They think it will help them sleep well so that they are ready for the daily grind the next day. I learnt the sale of illicit brew has picked up in the locality in recent months in open places and many villagers knew the main accused, Govindaraj, in Karunapuram,” Illangovan added.

He said that the Kalvarayan hills have also been a hotspot of illicit liquor for many years and stressed that regular inspections are the only solution to prevent its production.

Caste certificates, a passport to good life

Activists say the government should provide caste certificates to members of the tribe – a demand they have been making for several years now – to raise their standard of living, and promote literacy and awareness among the community to prevent tragedies like liquor deaths.

“Compared to other socially deprived classes, the Kattunayakan tribes have been demanding certificates for a long time. It is a vicious circle: they live in poverty, continue to earn meagre incomes, and end up being addicted to illicit liquor,” Illangovan said.

Tribal rights activist P Shanmugam said caste certificates will also make many young men, who are living in penury, eligible for government assistance.

“’A caste certificate is an important document to be submitted with any college application. When these people have no access to education and no opportunities for growth, they opt to work as manual labourers or take other seasonal jobs to earn a livelihood. We have organised several protests for certificates, but there was no help from the government," Shanmugam said.

Multiple attempts by The Federal to reach Kallakurichi district collector S Prasanth for comment on rehabilitation programmes for the Kattunayakan tribe and the need for caste certificates bore no results.