LUCKNOW DECEMBER 8-
The anti-tobacco forum has decided to launch a nation-wide campaign against 'particular" policies of the government at centre which according to the forum,are favouring the powerful tobacco lobby .The forum has also alleged that a section of union ministers were also directly and indirectly involved in the "vicious circle" which has sounded a death knell for children especially those belonging to poor families.
The forum has also decided to expose the ministers in public .The decision of the forum to launch a nation-wide campaign has come after the central government has once again deferred a decision to issue statutory pictorial warning with pictures on pouches of the pan massala and cigarette packets .The government during a cabinet meeting held in new delhi on Tuesday has deferred the decision to make pan massala and cigarrette manufactures issue the statutory warning with pictures so that even illiterates can be warned against dangers involved in consumption of tobacco in any form.
"A number of union ministers are hand in glove with powerful tobacco lobby and which explains why this coterie of ministers has thrown its weight on deferment of the decision.These ministers with their vested interests have nothing to do with health of the children and also adults belonging to the poor sections," claimed Jitendra Mishra,convenor of the Anti-tobacco forum .
The forum has also made a request to the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandi to take a personal interest in the issue and save lakhs of children who are facing untimely death due to cancer and tuberculosis following prolonged tobacco consumption."We congratulate Soniaji on her birthday (Deecember 9) and we would be grateful to her if she can ensure that pictured warnings should be made mandatory from immediate affect." he said.
To corroborate its point on the issue,the forum has also quoted a report of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey which in its study has pointed out that in India at least three lakh children become addict to tobacco products every year and out of these nearly 70,000 face an untimely death due to cancer and nearly one lakh 20,000 become petients of tuberculosis which lead them to a slow death.The report has also claimed that as many as 10 lakh children allover the country face untimely death every year due to consumption of tobacco products.
"It's shocking and also frustrating that a coterie of union government ministers has joined hands with tobacco majors to help fasten "tobacco genocide "," said Jitendra Minisra.He also claimed that the forum has also decided to hold seminars,street plays and other means of communication not only to awaken the masses against dangers of regular tobacco consumption but also to expose the ministers before the public.
"Union minister Praful Patel's family is engaged in Bidi manufacturing business in Gondia district of Maharashtra while Pranab mukherjee represents in Parliament the Mushirabad constituency of West bengal whihc is a major Bidi producing region .In a similar manner,the ministers from Andhra Pradesh to Maharashtra are using their clout for forcing the government to frame pr-tobacco producer's policies," claimed the convenor.
He also pointed out that not only ministers in the government but also opposition leaders have joined hands with powerful tobacco lobby to serve their vested interests."The former BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu had even been the chairman of the tobacco Board," Mishra pointed out.
Significantly,while the pro-tobacco manufacturers lobby is very influential in Maharashtra the same role is being played by wealth farmers in Andhra Pradesh.These farmers use their men and money on a large scale in getting favours in Rajmundari district in Andhra Pradesh .This district is among the top tobacco producing region of the state where the tobacco gian ITC has a large stake.
"The forum has decided to take up its campaign in these areas so that the nexsus between farmers,ministers and powerful tobacco lobby could be exposed." said Jitendra Mishra.
