M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, May 31: Chewing tobacco business is quite a flourishing business in Palamu as every year there is a considerable rise in the number of chewing tobacco sellers and its consumers.
As May 31 is World No Tobacco Day, the lagatar24.com correspondent here tried to know if such a World No Tobacco Day has any bearing or relevance to the observance of such a day.
Neither its seller, both wholesaler and retailer, nor its consumers care a fig for World No Tobacco Day.
Jharkhand constabulary including its fleet of drivers is highly addicted to chewing tobacco.
A noted chewing tobacco wholesaler Sanjay Agrawal in Daltonganj said, “People of Palamu are pretty fond of tobacco of Bihar. Its quality and taste are superior to the UP brand of chewing tobacco.”
“A bundle of chewing tobacco weighing 100 kgs comes for rupees 4,000 to 4,500 here in Daltonganj which is then sold in the open market in smaller packets of 5 rupees or 10 rupees and it is the 5 rupees packet of chewing tobacco that sells more,” said Agrawal.
Labourers, vendors, railway coolies, auto-rickshaw drivers and even ‘pant bushshirt’ wearing men chew tobacco, most quite unmindful of the hazards of health.
According to Sanjay Agrawal, this chewing tobacco business too had its bad days economically for two years of the Covid pandemic. This business is now back with a bang, he asserted.
A chewing tobacco seller here refusing to be identified said, “I am selling it over the last three decades. With its proceeds, I have been able to get my children well-educated outside Jharkhand. I will be selling chewing tobacco till the last breath of mine.” However, he said he has never in his life chewed tobacco even once!
On being reminded that chewing tobacco is one of the reasons for oral cancer to which this chewing tobacco seller reacted sharply and said “We never shout like vegetable vendors to come and buy vegetables like potato, tomato. Visitors reach us on their own, ask for it and we just give them for a price.” This chewing tobacco seller has no idea of World No Tobacco Day.
