63 reformed bootleggers in Jawadhu Hills pledge to lead normal life

Sixty-three reformed bootleggers in Jawadhu Hills pledge to abandon illicit arrack trade, supported by police and community.

Sixty-three reformed bootleggers, including a handful of women, atop Jawadhu Hills in Tirupattur decided to turn a new leaf in their lives by penning a pledge to the district police on Sunday that they will return to normal way of life and stay away from brewing illicit arrack in the hills.

It was not an easy task for a well-built E. Sadaiyandi, 38, a mason in Pudur Nadu in the hills, who has now given up the trade of making illicit arracks and selling them in remote hamlets for many years. Initially, he was lured by easy money into manufacturing arrack to supplement his weekly income from masonry work.

As days passed, making and selling arracks in the hills became a full-time job for him. “When a person is young, he never understands the risk involved. As time flies, he realises what he has been doing is not correct. People around him are affected. That changes him,” he said.

Mr. Sadaiyandi was not alone. Sixty-two others have their own stories to tell. They were reformed to return to a normal way of life by a sustained campaign by family members, tribal village elders in the hills, revenue officials and local police backed by the district administration.

“We explained to the village elders and other tribes in the hills the need for bootleggers to return to normal life for the benefit of the community. I myself visited 4-5 times since last week, interacting with tribals in the hills,” Albert John, SP (Tirupattur), told The Hindu.

At present, Jawadhu Hills consists of Pudur Nadu, Pungampattu Nadu and Nellivasal Nadu village panchayats. Each village, on an average, consists of 20-30 tribal hamlets in the hills. Among them, Pudur Nadu that has 42 tribal habitations is an illicit arrack prone area due to its extreme remoteness and thick forests. On an average, it takes at least 1.5 hours to reach these hamlets from the plains on foot. 

Local police and revenue officials have identified six tribal hamlets in Pudur Nadu and three hamlets in neighbouring Madhakadapa hillock as ‘black spots’ for illicit arrack. Likewise, three ‘black spots’ in Kovipalayam, border village on Tamil Nadu - Andhra Pradesh in the plains, is also prone for illicit arrack sale.