Tamil Nadu traders who stopped sale of Coke, Pepsi, are in favour of promoting local brands.
The proposed ban on Coke and Pepsi by retail shops in Tamil Nadu started today. The state's traders are batting for local beverage brands, citing concerns about health. The traders and the Left organisations have been campaigning against the two beverage giants for nearly 30 years. Two years ago, a plot allotted for a bottling plant by Coca Cola in Erode district was even cancelled following a huge protest by farmers, who claimed that the plant would siphon off ground water.
Welcoming the decision of the traders, PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss said, "I was completely against these carbonated drinks. We made policy regarding this earlier". The former Union health minister said the government should bring in more awareness regarding this. "We have a huge surge of non-communicable diseases due to consumption of these things," he added.
The latest offensive against the two international brands was triggered during the recent protests over the bull-taming sport, Jallikattu, in Chennai's Marina Beach, when some of the youngsters spoke up against Coke and Pepsi. The traders' federation announced that it would stop selling the two brands from March 1.
A M Vikrama Raja, the president of the Federation, had said, "There are thousands of unknown brands which have been crushed by Pepsi and Coke and they are unable to come up".
Aruna Devi, a shopkeeper in Villupuram district, has a large stock of local Bovonto soft drinks. She said she would not procure colas once the remaining stock is sold. "It is good. By selling our own local brands, the profits will help our economy," she said.
The consumers, however, are divided. Some even say this move infringes their right to choose. Apoorva, a young professional, said, "The intention is good but all depends on how good the alternate aerated drinks are".
Balasubramanian, a youngster, countered, "We consumers should have the right to choose". His friend Ilam Periyar said, "If I still want I would go to another larger store and buy".
In a statement, the Indian Beverages Association said, "PepsiCo India and Hindustan CocoCola are Indian companies. The ban is against the Make in India spirit. Both are safe, conforming to international standards. We hope customers will have the right to choose."