Paan shop owners stay shut in Mumbai to protest gutka ban

Paan and tobacco shops in Mumbai remained shut today in protest of the new ordinance passed by the Maharashtra Department of Food and Drugs on on 19 July. The ordinance placed a statewide ban on the sale of scented betel nut and tobacco. “The ban that the Maharashtra government has put on an aromatic supaari (betel nut) and tobacco which are used in making paan is completely uncalled for and unnecessary,” said S Lakshminarayan, a member of the Betel nut, Tobacco & Paan Merchants Association. “These components have been used in making paan since the times of the Mughals, and they haven’t been proven to be harmful or toxic in any manner, which, according to the officials, is the case. “Going by this, they should even ban alcohol and cigarettes because we all know how harmful they are.” Mumbai alone has 65,000 paan and bidi shops. According to an article in DNA, experts say not all additives and perfumes are ‘food-grade’ material. [caption id=“attachment_1003837” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Paan shop owners protest the ban today.[/caption] Director of Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, Dr PC Gupta told DNA: “Additives like safrole induce addiction due to its amphetamine content. The toxic chemical is not fit for edible consumption but it is clandestinely added for flavour.” According to Lakshminarayan, there are more than five lakh people involved in this business, and if the government doesn’t rescind the order, it will lead to unemployment. “This (ordinance) will directly affect around 5 lakh people,” he said. “So we only ask of the government to kindly revoke this ordinance and save all of us from starving.” The ban excludes untreated tobacco (tobacco with curing) and untreated areca nuts, allowing for the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of these. According to a report in the Times of India, at the initial stage, those found violating the ban will be slapped with fines, while criminal cases will be registered against anti-social elements found trading the banned products.