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Philip Morris' Indian subsidiary violates Tobacco Control Act

An advertisement of a tobacco product in Goa by the world's largest tobacco company Philip Morris' subsidiary in India blatantly violates the Indian tobacco control Act.

"Tobacco co mpanies are undermining [tobacco control] legislations in many countries" had said Dr. Douglas Betcher, Head of Tobacco Free Initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently in a meeting on the global tobacco treaty.

The rulings for point-of-sale tobacco advertising in accordance with 'The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003', came into effect on 1 January 2006. The Rules envisage stringent and immediate action by the State Government against advertisement of smoking and other tobacco products.

The rules clearly mention that on point-of-sale of tobacco products, only type of tobacco product should be mentioned and no brand name, or any other promotional message or picture is permitted under the Indian law.

But Philip Morris' advertisements boards in Goa violates the law. "This advertisement is, at the onset, reckless contempt of the law" said Dr Shekhar Salkar, General Secretary of National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE India), in a letter addressed to the Indian subsidiary of Philip Morris demanding an unconditional apology for this gross violation and disregard to public health.

Tobacco ads"The Act does not allow display of pictures at the point of sale of tobacco products, which has been done in the advertising board placed at a kiosk in Panaji near Hotel Lucky, opposite Municipal garden and kiosk below D. V. talaulikar hospital, Khalap Mension, Vasco,Goa. The law states that, at a point of sale of cigarettes, the boards shall contain only the words: - 'Cigarettes are sold here'" said Dr Salkar.

"Big Tobacco's interference in health policy is one of the greatest threats to the treaty's implementation and enforcement. Philip Morris/Altria, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco (JT) use their political influence to weaken, delay and defeat tobacco control legislation around the world. While the industry claims to have changed its ways, it continues to use sophisticated methods to undermine meaningful legislation" had said Kathy Mulvey of Corporate Accountability International at the recent meeting last year on the global tobacco treaty.

The exact wording of the rulings on point-of-sale tobacco advertising is given below:

  1. All the existing points of sale advertisement boards for cigarettes and other tobacco products will have to be removed.
  2. The point of sale advertisement boards that is permitted under the Rules shall not exceed 60 cm x 45 cm. Each of these boards should contain the specified health warning occupying the top edge of the board measuring 20 cm x 15 cm and the display boards shall only list the type of tobacco product at the point of sale, without any mention of the board name or other promotional message or picture.
  3. There shall be no display of cigarette and other tobacco products at the point of sale.

"People need to become more aware of existing tobacco control legislations in India and take responsibility in partnering with the government for the enforcement of the same" said another tobacco control advocate Professor Dr Rama Kant who heads Indian Society Against Smoking, and has been working closely with NOTE India too.

Only time will tell how committed Indian Government and state government of Goa is to the public health and well-being of its citizens, and take 'stringent and immediate action' as per the law.

(Bobby Ramakant is the Asian Correspondent and can be reached at bobbyramakant@yahoo.com)
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Dipak Kumar Adhikari's picture

Kind Attention All the valuable person are corrupted in our country, This is my last mail to you, and if you not taken any action than I Seemed that you are also corrupted. To, The incharge of the department, Sub: My wife, her family prostitute, Please save me, and My Family. Please send the matter to the appropriate authorities, if necessary. Here S.B.I. Officer involve. Respected Sir, 100% now I believe that if you have money then you can get anything, every thing is possible by you. If you are a poor then you can’t get anything, every thing is far and beyond possible to you, also you get poor judgment and poor comportment in all aspects of life, in our country INDIA . For example 1. I. I went to Police Station more than 100 times, made 5times entries (complaints) into G.D. but Not even a microscopic actions took place against the alleged bodies. On the contrary Sandip Samanta, S/O. Shankar Kumar Samanta (S.B.I. OFFICER Ph. No. 9830366434, Branch: 24B, Nimtala Ghat Street, Jorabagan, Kolkata- 700006, West Bengal, India‎, Bank Ph. No. 033 25308337) he has much more and enough money so they purchase all police personnel's and some political leaders, some Dada. Etc. Only I used to get many letters and many phone calls which all seem to me needs to be thrown in the trash, as it all are valueless, toothless and only simply a solace to the poor. What an undone boy I am! Woe is to me! My wife and her family, Shankar Kumar Samanta and his family harassed me and my family, they are torcher me physically and mentally, and all time told that they kill me and my family. Dt. 06.08.2010 Case no.336 U/S: 147,148,448,325,379/34 Sandip Samanta, doing the case me and my family, and his evidence only his father, mother and his uncle, not a single man in my village for their evidence, it’s a 100% fabricated case. We got married 05/03/2002, and have a daughter who took birth on 09/07/2005. My wife and her family lodged a case 498A/34 IPC, FIR NO.276, date 31/08/2009, P.S.: BAGUIATI, against me and some of my family members it’s a fabricated, baseless, legless, toothless and doesn’t have any commensurate to the fact. My wife is engaged and having an illicit affair with a boy (Sandip Samanta, S/O. Shankar Kumar Samanta S.B.I. Officer Ph. No. 9830366434, Branch: 24B, Nimtala Ghat Street, Jorabagan, Kolkata- 700006, West Bengal, India‎, Bank Ph. No. 033 25308337) just opposite to my house, all the matters are known to every person in my village, and also they have certified me written about my fresh character and nature. When my wife left form my house with Sandip Samanta taking many vory gold and cash 1.20 lack Indian rupees. What a demon she is! She didn’t take our only daughter (only four years old) who is now in my house having severe asthma supported by inhaler. My wife filed the 498A case dated 31/08/2009 and I was arrested on 06/09/2009, how much money Taken Baguiati police form my father and others for 498A/34 I.P.C., fabricated Charge Sheeted, I don’t know, because then I’m in Jail. The Learn" ed court granted me on bail on 19/09/2009. Barasat court. And now I get only date and date…. I have lots of irrefutable evidences, (20 pcs. Adult S.M.S., Adult picture with the boy and a c.d.) with me where it is cleanly reveals which translates my wife and the boy that they are in illicit relations. Believe me I and my family would love very much (which is very rare seen in our society) to my wife and never any kind of love lost didn’t happen. They (My wife family) are very very poor and live in a bosti Address: 70/H/8 Manicktolla Main Road , Kolkata – 700054, Beside 5 Star Club, my mother saw 1st time and she arranged my marriage. Before marriage my family did not see the pedigree of my wife’s family, now we understood also realized that they hailed from a worst status. My wife, her family prostitute and (Sandip Samanta, S/O. Shankar Kumar Samanta) all they are misusing this law. Now my wife’s family knows all the affair-related matter. My wife left our only solitary daughter to me who is 4 years old having severe "Asthma Disease, depends on INHALER, here political Hide and seek, ducks and drakes and lots of unfair means are going on and the father of the parents (THE FATHER OF THE BOY WHO HAS ILLICIT RELATIONS WITH MY WIFE) are rich, so they are spending money to everywhere with a view to be escaped. Now I decided that in no way I can’t accept that demon wife. I hired a lawyer his name Mr. Kamelash Nandi. I don’t know what will be happened next? It’s an utterly a huge and a palpable offence subsequent to which the boy deserves severe and examplanary punishment so that no one can dare to abuse this law. My mother is a sugar present shies sugar is now 400. If possible please help me. Please investigate the matter thread barely and save me and my family. I leave here one question to every one that in this die-straits situation whom do I take care to myself (TRAGEDY), my daughter, or my mother (severe Diabetic)?. My wife filed another case me U/s. 125 Cr. P. C. Case NO.167/2009, (Smt. Nita Sarkar J.M. 1st Court Sealdah South 24 Parganas. Date 16/12/2009.) They take 4(four) Advocate at Sealdah Court . I have no any Advocate at Sealdah Court . J.M. 1st Court Sealdah not see my any papers related to my case, Order 1000/- P.M. And now I get only date and date…. I am millions miles away from the genuine and authentic investigation and inquiry. No inquiry, investigation were executed against the F.I.R lodged by my wife. It is very painful, lamentable as well as heart rendering, breath taking affair to me and my family. My heart bursts into guffaw when I see the nature of the inquiry and investigation. One thing is as clear as crystal to me that the law and the task of the law enforcing agencies vary from man to man. A new proverb is going to take birth very soon that "Justice for the rich and Injustice is for the poor" A rich reserves the right to indulge in any kind of heinous business but the poor is restricted to involve in any type of excellent deeds" To see all these my heart is about to come in the mouth and the ground under my feet gets shook. In a word all types of Law are for the poorest and the richest will enjoy the richest judgments from all quarters. After coming form the DumDum Central Jail, I mat with the BAGUIATI POLICE O.C. Mr. Goutam Mitra, and asked him politely: “ SIR I FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THAT I MADE SO MANY ENTIRIES INTO YOUR G.D.E. BUT YET NO ACTION SO FAR HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN FORM YOURSELF” then BAGUIATI POLICE O.C. Mr. Goutam Mitra, went through all my papers (20 pcs. Adult S.M.S., Adult picture with the boy, G.D.E, MANY MANY OTHER PAPERS RELATED TO MY CASE and TWO c.d.). After seeing all my papers he told me that I cannot take any action until and unless you lodge a case against all of them. Then I Prayed to the Ld. C.J.M at Barasat court to lodge the case, against the alleged person. (The payer to the Ld. C.J.M. is enclosed which is self-explanatory) after filing the case (The case is starting At Baguiati Police Station Case No-168 Date: 24.04.2010. CHARGE 323, 379, 406, 497, 498, 500, 504, 506 READ WITH 34/120B OF INDIAN PENAL CODE) the BAGUIATI POLICE O.C. Mr. Goutam Mitra, and I.O. Mr. Prasenta Kumar Das, Mr. Ajay Kumar Ghosh, in stead of taking not any take proper investigation/ not take any action/ not take any type of query to recover my Cash and Gold form the house of Shankar Kumar Samanta, The BAGUIATI POLICE O.C. Mr. Goutam Mitra, and I.O. Mr. Prasenta Kumar Das, Mr. Ajay Kumar Ghosh, took my case as a Golden Goose, and how much money BAGUIATI POLICE O.C. Mr. Goutam Mitra, and I.O. Mr. Prasenta Kumar Das, Mr. Ajay Kumar Ghosh, has taken is well known to them. Neither he took any take proper investigation/ not take any action/not take any type of query nor he did roundup them against my case. When I saw that already near by 120-150 days went by “I went to the BAGUIATI P.S. to know the status of the case then BAGUIATI POLICE I.O. Mr. Prasenta Kumar Das, Mr. Ajay Kumar Ghosh, became outraged me and my mother that if you ask about Shankar Kumar Samanta and his family I will sentence you and your family in the Jail, all their languages is so much filthy dirty which I cannot express front of you. As I’m 100 percent innocent so I screw up my courage to place my grievances to every body in order to get redress. So I want to let my matter informed all the Indian and others. I wrote my matter to our local P.S., Local Councilor, all M.P., M.L.A., Minister in W.B. and Other States, C.M. in W.B., CBI Department, CID Department, S.P. and Dy.S.P.(N.) 24 Parganas, DGP Bhupindar Singh, All the I.P.S. AND I.A.S. OFFICERS. Governor in W.B, and President in India (15 times). P.M. in India, P. Chidambaram Union Minister of Home Affairs, National/International Human rights department, AAP KI KACHEHRI – KIRAN KE SAATH, Kolkata Police, and all police officers in W.B. informed Kolkata Commissioner of Police, Manager S.B.I.-Branch: 24B, Nimtala Ghat Street, Jorabagan, Kolkata- 700006, West Bengal, India‎, Bank Ph. No. 033 25308337. My nation, all of the news channels, and all press, Ld. Chief Justice High court and Supreme court. Talking with some NGO’s: 1. Universal Right and Duty for Human to Abide URDHA, 2. Human Right Commission’s Mr. Ujjal Paul and Mr. Shibaji Dasgupta. 3. Bharat Bachao Sangathan BBS- DS Rao, Anwar H Danish, Vineet Ruia. 4. Forum for Social Justice and Development FSJD. 5. Ajjtak News Channel’s Miss Menogya. and many more, (anybody can’t help me/ fight for truth /don’t take proper investigation/do not take any action/don’t take any type of query/ Still Now, many department told does not comes under the purview of our department. Then my question is where I go now? I can’t get Judgment still now. I see they all are in sound asleep. The reason is best known to them. I hope you would care to me, your prompt action shall be highly appreciated and deserves to be lauded. With kindest regards, Dipak Kumar Adhikari Tegharia(Dhali Para),NandanKanan. P.S.: Baguiati. P.O.: Hatiara. Dist.: North24Parganas. Kolkata-700059 Email: dipakadhikari_59@yahoo.com W.B. India. PH. 9874389190

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