Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

The cola controversy

The cola multinationals and chambers of commercial interests have taken the lead in undermining the response to the CSE's findings and the ban on the production and sale of Pepsi and Coke in Kerala and their sale in educational institutions in many other States. If their argument that many other eatables we consume contain higher level of pesticides is to be accepted, we cannot correct any wrong until we first tackle global warming, and the use of pesticides in growing cereals, rice and wheat. This effectively means we should solve everything else before taking on the cola companies. The argument is unacceptable.

P. Narasimhan,
Bangalore

There is no doubt water, milk, and vegetables in India are not free from pesticides. But we cannot give up these items because they are vital to our survival. On the other hand, whether they contain pesticide or not, colas are unnecessary.

V.V. Raman,
Hampton, Virginia

Is the ban on colas the only panacea? The basic issues of preservation and correct use of natural resources and the ill-effects of not only colas but umpteen number of consumables should be paramount while deciding on the imposition of bans. Knee-jerk reactions do not serve any purpose.

K.S.V.V.N.S.V. Prasad,
Rajahmundry, A.P.

The ban is not in the best interests of a growing economy like ours. When State Governments run lotteries and wine shops, ignoring the directives laid down in the Constitution, finding fault with the cola companies only shows their paranoia against the MNCs.

In the absence of stringent provisions governing the manufacturing process of soft drinks, imposing a ban on the colas alone will not stand legal scrutiny.

S. Nallasivan,
Tirunelveli, T.N.

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