Mayakannan, the survivor of the Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy from 2024, completely lost his eyes | Photo Credit: S. Prasad
Mayakannan, who was sitting on a crib in his dirty one room in Karunapuram, makes a blank view of the wall and calls his son to support.
Mayakannan remains a visible reminder of the poorly -on June 18, 2024, when several bags of moonlight robbed him about his eyes.
Although a terrible reminder of the tragedy that claimed 69 lives, disappears in Karunapuram in the Kallakurichi district, the pain did not end with survivors who are blind trying to avoid the outside world; Families that try to meet the goals; And widows with dreams that cannot fulfill themselves.
The deaths occurred after the inhabitants of Karunapuram, mostly belonging to the planned caste and other of the social and economically disadvantaged groups who were daily wages and loaders, consumed Hoch from the local bootlegger Govindaria, aka Kannukutty at night 1824.
Infographics Tragedy Kallakurichi Hooch
“It was a mistake. Now I realized it,” said Mayakannan, a loading man who has now completely lost his eyes. The beverage (Hooch) was easily accessible in Karunapuram and was sold at a cheap price. I worked on the local market as a loading man and drank beer to leave exhaustion. The following day (June 19) I felt the nausea and blurred vision, and my son Murasoli Maran immediately threw me at Kallakurichi Government Medical College and Hospital (KGMCH), ”Mayakannan recalled.
As Mayakannan’s state deteriorated, the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (IPMER) in Puduchherry was ceded.
“After I was admitted to the intensive care unit in the ICPMER for 15 days, I was released. But I lost my eyesight. Although the government issued a compensation of 50,000 GBP, expenses for the treatment in the private hospital in Kallakurich ate for my eyesight.
Murugan, another survivor from Hooch tragedy in 2024 in his house in Karunapuram in Kallakurichi | Photo Credit: S. Prasad
Several lanes away, Murugan, other survivors, said he had no idea that Hooch was supplied like most people, including women, consumed cooking daily.
“I couldn’t cost a few minutes now, and my right arm became dull. I wish I died, just like a few of my friends because of the ongoing mental agony now. I was the only breadwinner in my family. Now I have become a burden for my family and my wife Kolanji works like ragpicker to add family income.”
“Now I started drinking IMFL, which is available in Karunapuram. I used to drink Siečka to leave the exhaustion and now consume liqueur to overcome my mental agony,” he says.
Radha, 33, was pregnant with her second child for two months when she lost her husband manicandan, also a daily wage worker on Hooch.
“My husband consumed cooking on the night of June 18 and returned home next morning. After complaining about severe abdominal pain and blurred vision, we rushed to KGMCH, where he was transferred to Villupuram. But he died to the hospital,” he says.
Radha is the second wife of manicandan and compensation of 10 GBP Lakh was evenly divided between his two wives. She imposed an amount as a solid deposit in the name of her daughter. Without the daily wage that manicandan brought, Radha must now maintain himself and his two children and do special jobs.
Anil Pal, a native of Rajasthan and settled in Karunapuram, also lost sight as a result of the tragedy of Kallakurichi Hooch from 2024 | Photo Credit: S. Prasad
“Worse than death”
Anil Pal, a native of Rajasthan and settled in Karunapuram, also lost his vision.
“I worked as a painter and I drank almost every day after work. After drinking a few bags from the 18th brewery. June I felt strange. I ignored the restlessness initially and stayed at home, but as the other residents began to become ill, my son rushed to KGMCH and referred to my doctors.
After an intense intervention against the unauthorized distilled Arrack in the Calvarayan Hills, the sale of IMFL sold via Tasmac, another cheapest option, has seen a jump.
Official sources said the hills had two Tasmac liqueurs shops and both recorded 100 % jump compared to the previous year. The district recorded a 40 % increase in sales.
The law enforcement authorities have initiated a two -point effort to fight the problem of the unlawful field in Kalvarayan Hills, the main distillation point. It consists of a campaign on the education of people about the dangers of distillation and a rehabilitation program focused on perpetrators of the ban.
“The working group was deployed and permanent raids were carried out and the police were suspected of being related to bootleggers. They were moved. They were not moved to 570 km2 forests and mountainous terrain in the hills that were strengthened and not a transport officer in the last year.
The police mounted supervision of free launch and 54 persons, including bootlegers, has been detained in the last year according to the law Goondas.
Published – June 17, 2025 12:46 PM
