Bereaved relatives grieving over the death of their loved ones in the wake of the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi district
| Photo Credit: KUMAR SS

Life will never be the same again for many of the residents of Karunapuram, the epicentre of the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi town. With the death toll in one of the worst-ever hooch tragedies in Tamil Nadu continuing to rise, many families who have lost their sole breadwinners are preparing for funerals.

A feeling of helplessness was writ large on the faces of Karunapuram village elders and women, who were seen on Thursday discussing the tragedy. Karunapuram is located near the Combined Court Buildings in Kallakurichi town and is a stone’s throw away from the Kallakurichi town police station. Of the 38 deaths reported in Kallakurichi district, 19 are from Karunapuram.

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The spate of deaths have pushed many distraught families deeper into penury, as the killer brew claimed at least one breadwinner from every house in the locality. The accounts of the grief stricken families make it clear that illicit arrack sale has been rampant in the area.

Ayyammal, 56, wife of Subramani, a load man, said her husband used to spend his daily earnings on illicit arrack. “He had consumed arrack on Tuesday (June 18) night and returned home the next morning. He complained of pain in the chest and blurred vision. We immediately rushed him to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem but he succumbed within a few hours. My family has lost its sole breadwinner due to illicit arrack. What am I supposed to do?” she asked.

Residents of Karunapuram alleged that illicit liquor was freely available in the town. A number of them said they had seen bootlegger Govindaraj alias Kannukutty selling the killer brew in plastic sachets of 250 ml each. In spite of repeated complaints to the jurisdictional police, no action was taken against him, the residents alleged. Govindaraj was arrested on June 19, after the tragedy.

“Most of the victims were daily wage labourers and load men and used to drink every day after work. Illicit liquor has been freely available in the town over the past seven months. The men spent their money on the spurious alcohol since they cannot afford branded branded liquor and ultimately, it claimed their lives,” said Senthil, a resident of Karunapuram.

For Poongudi, an auxiliary nurse midwife at the Ulundurpet General Hospital who has also been bereaved, there is, along with grief, the guilt of not being able to convince her husband Anandan to give up drinking. “He worked as a load man and used to drink regularly. But he recently tried this arrack for the first time and got addicted to it. I left for work in the morning and returned only at night. I tried to wean him away from drinking, but in vain,” she said.

Anandan first complained of breathlessness. He was rushed to the Government Kallakurichi Medical College Hospital after he experienced the loss of eyesight. However, his health condition deteriorated following which he was referred to Salem, where he died.

The district administration has made arrangements for a mass cremation and burial for the victims near the Gomukhi River and a few other places near Kallakurichi town.