After the announcement of amendments of COTPA (such as ban on sale of loose cigarettes), a cancer survivor has sent an open letter addressed to PM that he as addressed to PM Narendra Modi. He expresses his views about the ban on loose cigarettes and urges Modiji to reconsider its implementing the amendments it with full vigour.
Respected Modi Ji,
It was with great sense of pride and satisfaction that I learnt from the Newspapers reports that Government of India has decided to ban sale of loose cigarettes as it constitutes over seventy percent of its sale.
However, the joy was short lived as today it has been announced that the amendments of COTPA (such as ban on sale of loose cigarettes) is going to be deferred. Although I did not believe in the paper published by the Congress party with caption U-Turn, it immediately occurred to me that the decision not to implement ban on sale of loose cigarettes is likely to be dubbed as another U-Turn.
However, the joy was short lived as today it has been announced that the amendments of COTPA (such as ban on sale of loose cigarettes) is going to be deferred. Although I did not believe in the paper published by the Congress party with caption U-Turn , it immediately occurred to me that the decision not to implement ban on sale of loose cigarettes is likely to be dubbed as another U-Turn.
Sir, I am a tobacco victim and cancer survivor. After having smoked cigarettes made attractive by constant advertising with inciting slogans like, ‘Made for Each Other’ by ITC , I was detected with Throat Cancer in 2008. It resulted in removal of my voice box and now I speak with the help of a prosthesis (machine). Eating and Speaking has become a challenge. As ill lack would have it, I suffered yet another Cancer of the Tongue in 2013 resulting in partial removal of my tongue. It can be thus well imagined that my life has become virtual hell. Please see the attached picture that was taken recently during my discharge from hospital.
I never wanted any other person to have the same fate which was the reason for my joy on learning that sale of loose cigarettes is going to be banned and loop holes in COTPA are going to be plugged by amendment.
Mr. Prime Minister, the case before Consumer Court filed by me for compensation from ITC could not succeed as one of the grounds taken in defense was that I could not produce bills for cigarettes purchased by me.
Can you imagine any person being issued with bills for sale of loose cigarettes by the vendors. Therefore, if at all loose cigarettes are to be sold then issuance of sale bills must be made mandatory for loose as well as packets of cigarettes. The activities of cigarettes manufacturing companies must be curbed as they are nothing but merchants of death. One cannot protect these companies and tobacco growers, vendors etc on the plea that the Revenue of the Government as also employment opportunities of persons shall be affected.
For generation of jobs and revenue at the cost of millions of lives lost due to cigarette smoking and expenditure on health care cannot be justified on this score. You had tweeted on 31st May (World no tobacco day) for a healthier and Tobacco Free India. You had pledged to reduce tobacco consumption in India. Unfortunately your senior Cabinet Ministers do not support your ideologies and continue to patronage tobacco lobby.
It is, therefore, prayed that the Honourable Prime Minister may kindly reconsider its rethinking on proposed curbs on sale and consumption of tobacco and implement it with full vigour. Sir, you have evoked high hopes in people of India. It is our cherished desire that the Government shall take decisive steps to make India tobacco free. It would not only save lives but also save enough money spent in health care and loss of economic activity to compensate for the loss of Government Revenue. Surely the Government does not want to earn Revenue by allowing its citizens to be killed by Companies like ITC whose share prices have surged by 6% after the announcement to defer ban on loose cigarettes.
The main beneficiaries of tobacco business aren’t farmers/vendors but few powerful families who run this trade only to make vulgar profits. How can you ignore that these business families are killing one million Indians every year and making the nation lose nearly one lac crore every year on health care expenditure? At the end, it is urged that all the proposed amendments in COPTA and its implementation may kindly be done immediately.
Deepak Kumar
Commissioner of Customs,Central Excise & Service Tax (Retd)
Courtesy: Healthsite
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