Kanpur: Citizens of Kanpur have joined the administration to make the second largest industrial city in northern India’s Hindi belt tobacco free by May 31.
About 500 citizens signed up in support of the campaign on May 5 at an awareness camp organized by the Kanpur Nagrik Manch (KNM, Kanpur Citizens Forum) that has been in the vanguard of protecting the interests of local citizens.
The KNM was among eight organizations Kanpur District Magistrate Roshan Jacob selected to take the campaign forward. She has appointed one person from each of them as a nodal authority, with the power to enforce certain provisions of COTPA and even challan (ticket) the errant public.
The district administration and medical team invited the organizations since they view tobacco consumption as a social problem than a law and order matter.
Addressing the gathering Jacob appealed to the citizens for their support, as it was their city and in their own interest to make Kanpur tobacco free.
Padmashri Dr Giriraj Kishore, a leading social activist, said it was high time that citizens came forward with positive action, instead of always expecting the government to do everything.
KNM convener, Chhotebhai Noronha, who has been appointed as a nodal authority, said the role of civic activists was not so much to challan offenders, but rather to challenge and motivate them to give up their diehard habits.
Program convener Suresh Gupta said that consumption of tobacco products was a sure invitation to an early death. Dr A. K. Srivastava of the Tobacco Control Cell enumerated the various health hazards of tobacco consumption, especially of oral cancer from eating gutka, paan masala.
Kanpur is probably the biggest manufacturing hub of gutka and paan masala in India. Hence taking on this powerful lobby is in itself an onerous task, says Noronha.
The “Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act” (COPTA) was enacted in 2003, and amended five years later, but it was not seriously implemented until now.
Kanpur and Lucknow, two major cities in Uttar Pradesh state, were selected in the pilot phase to make them free of tobacco in public places under the National Tobacco Control Programme.
Jacob took up the tobacco control campaign and conducted several workshops, distributed banners, posters and hand bills and highlighted the various provisions of the act.
The Section 4 of the Act stipulates that every public places such as markets and office premises have to be tobacco free zones. Under section 6 no tobacco products can be sold to those below 18 years of age and within 100 yards of any educational institution. Under other provisions vendors of tobacco products are not supposed to prominently display them to attract customers.
Several social activists said they wondered why the government does not ban paan masala and gutka that have harmful effects. Noronha says people find them cheap since a sachet costs only 1 rupee. He wants the government to make 10 rupees as the minimum retail price for a sachet. “This could also act as a deterrent; just as single stick cigarette sales are banned.”
Among those who also addressed the May 5 gathering were Manoj Sengar of the Vishwa Gayatri Parivar, veteran Gandhian Jagdambabhai, senior Corporator Madanlal Bhatia, women’s activist Neelam Chaturvedi and Athar Naeem. The KNM will continue to organize such campaigns in different parts of the city.
The Kanpur Catholic Association was represented by Rev Apolin Lobo, Rev Thomas Kumar, Raj Samuel, Emmanuel Premchand, Peter Fernandes, Premkumar, and the parish youth by Praveen Dungdung, Ruksana Nayak, Joseph Lal, Gulshan Nayak, and Francis Mendis.