Christian body set to launch anti-liquor campaign: Kerala

A Church body in southern state of Kerala has warned its government of selling low-price liquor in the state.

On Tuesday, the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) met with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Excise Minister P.K. Gurudasan and opposed the government's move of boosting liquor sales. It explained that it causes bad aftereffects including "dividing and destroying families".

The delegation comprised of two archbishops, two senior Catholic priests and state secretary of KCBC Madhyavirudha Samithi (anti-liquor) Prasad Kuruvilla.

"We are doing our best and we know there is a limit to what we can do. It is the state government which has to act. We are worried that the recent liquor policy of the Left government says that they will start production of low priced liquor at certain state owned government companies," chairman of the anti-liquor platform of KCBC Bishop Sebastian Thekethecheril told IANS.

KCBC has decided to organise a protest meet March 21 at Angamali in Ernakulam district and March 28 at Kottayam.

"We decided to meet them and convey our concerns that liquor has been the single biggest evil which destroys families and people. We have a social commitment and we also decided to go ahead with our campaign against liquor all across the state," Latin Archbishop M. Susa Pakiam said.

Kerala which has one of the highest per capita consumption of liquor in the country is set to cross a record Rs.4,000 crore for the current fiscal in the state.