Just a day after Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi announced a comprehensive ban on gutkha from September 11, questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the move.
Just a day after Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi announced a comprehensive ban on gutkha from September 11, questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the move.
Speaking during the 66th Independence Day speech in Junagadh on Wednesday, Modi said, “I have to save the youths of Gujarat, from the dreaded evil of cancer and that’s why a decision to impose a complete ban on gutkha has been taken.”
However, the ban may not be effective in the long run. The highly unorganized Rs1,000-crore gutkha industry in Gujarat is already ready with an alternative. The industry has a national turnover of around Rs10,000 crore, 10% which comes from Gujarat.
Even before the ban was announced, local gutkha industry was preparing itself for the worst.
Gutkha manufacturers will soon sell the two mixtures - pan masala and tobacco – separately.
“Like in other states, we will start marketing 2-in-1 products in Gujarat. It will be at same price. The only difference between gutkha and 2-in-1 is that customer will have to mix the two composites,” said distributor of Ketan Guthka, Mahesh Mishra.
Gujarat is a ‘dry’ state but all kinds of liquors are sold in the state. It is feared that once the ban is in place, gutkha pouches will be sold at exorbitant prices to willing buyers.
A distributor of a leading gutkha brand said that since gutkha was banned in Rajasthan, gutkha packets are sold three to four times their actual cost. “Similar thing will happen in Gujarat too,” he said.
Interestingly, brands like RMD, formerly known as Manikchand, and Vimal, have gutkha manufacturing facilities in the state. RMD has a plant in Vadodara, while Vimal unit is in Moriya near Changodar, just 40 km from Ahmedabad.
“Gujarat is not the first state to ban gutkha. In other states, the ban has been challenged in courts. It will be definitely challenged in Gujarat too. What is the use of banning gutkha if there is no ban on tobacco? Cigarettes are as harmful as gutkha,” he said.
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