By IANS,
New Delhi: A 35-year-old cancer victim has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pleading with him to impose a ban on tobacco products such as gutka and cigarette.
Rahul Bhardwaj, working with a private company, said in his letter sent Tuesday: “My life changed four months back when I was diagnosed with an advanced stage of mouth cancer that the doctors say is a result of my habit of gutka/pan masala chewing….”
Bhardwaj described his on-going agonising fight with cancer and how he was unable to eat or drink due to the ailment.
“I have sent a copy of the letter to the health minster and chairman of the human rights commission. I have gone through the trauma of seeing death from close quarters, and know how harmful the addictive product is,” Bhardwaj said.
According to a 2009 study by the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), India has nearly 274.9 million tobacco users – around 35 percent of the population.
“I represent the millions of youth in India. Why do we continue to allow this industry a legal status? Is it justifiable to allow killing of one million Indians every year for earning a few thousand crores (of rupees),” wrote Bhardwaj.
“I plead (with) the prime minister of this country to impose a ban on gutka, cigarette and pan masala,” said Bhardwaj who is currently undergoing chemotherapy in a Delhi-based hospital.