Residents of Nedunthivu (Delft Island) staged a protest today, calling for the closure of a local liquor shop amid growing concerns over the rampant spread of alcohol and illicit drugs in the Tamil homeland.
Gathering outside the Nedunthivu Divisional Secretariat, protesters held banners and chanted slogans demanding immediate action from authorities. The demonstration comes ahead of a mobile service scheduled for Wednesday, where the Northern Province Governor is set to participate. The residents strategically staged their protest a day prior, aiming to bring attention to the urgent issue and pressure the provincial authorities to act.
Alcohol and drug abuse has surged across the Tamil homeland, amidst an ongoing military occupation, exacerbating social deterioration in the North-East. Protesters expressed frustration over the authorities' failure to regulate the proliferation of liquor shops and prevent the spread of narcotics in the region.
The protest in Nedunthivu echoes broader concerns raised across the North-East, with Tamil representatives and civil society groups repeatedly highlighting how narcotics, including illicit liquor, cannabis, heroin, and crystal meth (ice), have flooded Tamil areas in recent years. Vanni District MP Thurairasa Ravikaran, speaking in Parliament last week, noted that drug circulation in the Tamil homeland was virtually nonexistent during the LTTE era, but has since escalated to alarming levels—despite the region being one of the most militarised areas in the world.
The protesters in Nedunthivu demanded that the Northern Province Governor take immediate steps to shut down the liquor shop and introduce stricter measures to combat drug and alcohol abuse in the region.
