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No to gambling, but bail out lottery agents
An ideal move
The Government's decision to stop the operation of all lotteries in the State following the intervention of the Supreme Court is viewed as an ideal move in the interest of the common man. Though the Government's own paper lottery was not harmful and had been a source of livelihood for lakhs of economically backward people, online and other State lotteries were a source of gambling.
Online lottery operators claim that they had contributed crores of rupees to the education sector in the State. They, at the same time, tactfully ignore the fact that their lotteries had ruined several thousands of middle-class and low-income families. This forced many people to commit suicides.
H. Ravikumar Pai
Kochi
Not a right
Except a few physically challenged people who make a living out of it, a large number of people engaged in lottery trade are physically fit to find alternative vocations following the ban. As usual, the immediate fallout of the ban has been widespread agitations and suicide threats. Article 16 of the Constitution grants the fundamental right to equality of opportunity and employment. It provides that no citizen shall be discriminated against in respect of employment on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth or residence. If one chose to take up the profession of lottery ticket sale, how does the Government come in the picture to rehabilitate him or her in the event of the ban? Social justice is one of the cornerstones of our Constitution. The Government is obliged to render all assistance. But confronting the Government by those rendered jobless, as a matter of right is reprehensible.
M. Madhavan Pillai
Ernakulam
Help out the agents
In the interest of society at large, all sorts of gambling, including online lotteries, should be banned. Had the Government controlled such lotteries at the proper time, they would not have gained a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court on continuing operations in the State. But the Cabinet decision to ban all lotteries, including the State-run one, to circumvent the Supreme Court order is suicidal.
As a result of the ban, the Government has to suffer an annual loss of Rs. 20 crores, in addition to facing the serious problem of unemployment. The employees of the Lottery Department can be redeployed. But what would be the fate of thousands of lottery agents and ticket vendors who earn their bread by selling tickets? The rehabilitation of this underprivileged class of people is not an easy task. So the total ban is `thoughtless' and `unwise.'
S.K. Vijayan
Alappuzha
Ban other evils too
When the Government can never initiate strong steps to ban more dangerous social evils, such as smoking and drinking, why should there be a ban on lottery alone? Whatever be the after-effect, the Government must take strong steps to ban the brew, cigarettes and other items that are injurious to health. We do believe that running the business of selling lotteries is a decent one, provided the Government checks printing of illegal lotteries.
Sreelakshmi R. and Vishnupriya U.
Kothamangalam
Illegal lotteries
No force on earth can stop the human tendency to search for luck.
The result of the ban is the massive operations of illegal lotteries, causing a huge loss to the exchequer. The lottery operators are unemployed youth.
If the ban is not lifted, the Government will meet its waterloo.
C.S. George
Kochi
Disastrous move
There is no doubt that the move of the Government in banning lotteries is disastrous. Rehabilitation schemes for those rendered jobless by the ban are still in the pipeline and there appears to be no signs of any immediate measures as yet.
These people have families and one can only imagine what will happen when their only means of livelihood are taken away.
The ban will only help illegal lotteries to crop up in various corners of the State. There is no justification for such a ban and the Government is bound to pay the price.
Glin Anto
Thrissur
Start online tickets
The ban imposed on all types of lotteries, including the State-run one, have put more than three-lakh people, most of them poor and the disabled, engaged as agents or sellers of lotteries in Kerala, to great financial difficulties, as they were solely depending on the income generated from this. With no other means and in utter disappointment, some of them had even committed suicide.
Banning all types of lotteries is a wrong decision of the Government. The Government can start online lotteries with certain modifications to the present rules as is going to be done by some other States, such as Manipur. In that case, the Government will be in a more advantageous position as a huge amount can be collected in tax.
V. Gangadharan
Cherthala
Exploitative
The Government's decision to ban all kinds of lotteries, including its own, has kicked up a row, as expected. It is right to say that the ban is not a sincere attempt, but pure drama.
I support a ban of all types of lotteries — it is the need of the hour.
Actually, lottery culture is exploitative in nature. It propagates an illusion among people that money can be made without working. Now, the opponents of the ban argue that the Government's move is a blow to 3.5 lakh people, including a large number of the poor and the physically challenged, engaged in the sale of lotteries. But immoral trade and fraudulent financial dealings should not be justified in the name of employment.
Abdu Razak
North Paravur
Exchequer benefited
The blanket ban imposed by the State Government on lotteries has done more harm than good. It has not only rendered lakhs of hapless persons jobless, but also axed a well-run Government department. The State lottery, over the years, had earned the trust and recognition of the masses.
It also exploded the myth that all Government ventures will generally draw a blank.
The advent of online lotteries had a bad effect on the State lottery, as fortune seekers began to take to the former. Several persons lost their money and were driven to suicide. People in Kasaragod and Kannur districts are reportedly turning to `matka,' a kind of gambling, following the ban. The State lottery had its own legitimacy and credibility. It was no gambling either.
Apart from the thousands who won prizes, the exchequer also benefited from it.
The Government should revoke the ban.
N.K. Vijayan
Kizhakkambalam
Untimely decision
Ban on lotteries is not a good decision by the Government. It is because many people, especially the disabled, have become jobless by its untimely action.
Many families are now facing starvation, as their only source of livelihood has been banned. Many of them, finding no way out, may even commit suicide.
Either the Government has to withdraw the ban or help the poor some way or the other.
The Government can compensate or rehabilitate the three-lakh people who earned a living by the sale of lotteries.
Apila and Anasa
Kochi
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