On the occasion of his birthday celebration in 1920, Narayana Guru delivered a powerful message: "Alcohol is poison; do not produce it, do not consume it." Born into the Ezhava community, whose traditional occupation was toddy tapping, Guru quickly recognized the destructive nature of alcohol. This prompted his vehement criticism. Although only a small segment of the Ezhava community engaged in toddy tapping, Guru considered it a source of shame for the entire community, leading him to label it a ‘great plague’.
Guru's strong words, suggesting that toddy tappers should be separated from the community ‘just as a diseased organ is amputated’, stemmed from his deep concern about alcohol and its harmful effects. This anti-alcohol message created significant unrest among the Ezhavas of Travancore. When their revered Guru issued such a directive, progressively minded youth, notably T.K. Madhavan, felt it was their duty to implement it. These young reformers actively discouraged both alcohol consumption and all professions associated with the liquor industry. The anti-liquor movement spearheaded by T.K. Madhavan received Guru's full support.
Maintaining close ties with the populace, Guru directly observed how alcohol poisoned individuals, families, and social life. In his poem ‘Sree Narayana Dharmam’, which outlines five virtues, renouncing alcohol is presented as the fifth, with Guru stating that its consumption impairs intellect and leads to grave sins. Throughout all his messages, Guru’s mission remained the betterment of the world around him.
Narayana Guru’s categorical rejection of alcohol as a "great plague" reflected his commitment to the total moral and social purification of society. By characterizing the liquor trade as a diseased organ that required amputation, he challenged his own community to abandon destructive traditional occupations in favor of dignity and intellect. Supported by reformers like T.K. Madhavan, this movement transformed personal habits into a collective struggle for progress. Ultimately, Guru’s stance affirmed that true betterment is impossible without renouncing vices that impair the mind.
