The Delhi state government's ban of gutka, a popular product made from betel nut and chewing tobacco, has drawn protests from manufacturers, but found support from an unlikely group of people â€" those who actually buy and sell the product.
Delhi joins several other state governments in barring the sale of gutka, whose widespread use has been blamed for India's oral cancer rate, which is among the highest in the world. Millions of Indians, including young children, are believed to be addicted to gutka, a powdered mixture consisting mainly of crushed betel nut and chewing tobacco, which sells in small sachets for as little as 1 rupee.
Bhikari Lal Gupta, 60, used to sell g utka at his roadside stall, which he has run for 32 years, and he estimated that he would lose 7,150 rupees ($130) per month because of the ban, which was announced Tuesday. But he said he was in favor of the government's move.
“I want gutka to be banned,†he said. “I may be losing business, but I will be saving my son.†Mr. Gupta said his 30-year-old son, Anil, consumes three to four pouches of gutka daily. “Chewing of gutka can lead to cancer and impotency,†the elder Mr. Gupta added. “I have seen the young son of my neighbor suffering because of gutka.â€
Mr. Gupta also said, “The ban on Gutka will make the road less dirty because the spitting will be lessâ€. In India the stains of chewed tobacco are a common sight on pavements, government office buildings, and public places such as bus stands and train stations.
Dharmendra Pathak, 23, an insurance agent, went to a stall to buy gutka, but the owner told him it was illegal to sell it. Mr. Pathak took the news in stride. “It is not good for health,†Mr. Pathak said,
who started chewing gutka a year ago. “It stains your teeth, and it causes bad breath. So I welcome the ban.â€
At Connaught Place in central Delhi, stall owners were trying to clear their gutka stock, some openly, some secretly. The punishment for violating the ban includes imprisonment ranging from six months to life and a fine of 100,000 to 1 million rupees. The law provides no penalty for consumers.
Gutka manufacturers are criticizing the Delhi government for not giving them enough time to clear out existing stock and make alternative arrangements for labor.
“I have 5 crore (50 million) rupees' of raw material, 200 employees and paid 20 crore (200 million) to government as advance excise duty,†said Pradeep Aggarwal, the secretary of the Smokeless Tobacco Federation, an association of gutka manufacturers. “What do I do now? The ban was introduced with immedia te effect.â€
Mr. Aggarwal also said the Gutka industry is a 200 billion rupee business nationwide, giving direct and indirect employment to 50 million people.
Mr. Aggarwal said that for tax purposes gutka is considered a tobacco product and draws higher taxes, but for prohibition purposes it is considered a food product, so state governments can ban it. “This is the contradiction in the law, and we will fight out the ban in the courts,†he said.
Anshu Prakash, the principal health secretary of the Delhi government, said news of the impending ban had been circulating in the media for the past 10 days so manufacturers couldn't claim that they were caught unaware.
The state government will lose some revenue because of the ban on gutka, but “for us, the health consideration is supreme,†said Mr. Prakash. “So many children and new users are consuming it without even realizing that you are consuming tobacco and becoming an addict.â€
Malavi ka Vyawahare contributed to this post.
