George Fernandes in his earlier avatar as Commerce minister decided that enough was enough and kicked Coke out. That was in 77. the year India truly became a parliamentary democracy. Congress was out and so was coke.
As a kid I used to like Fanta, I had tasted coke once when I’d gone to send off my newly married aunt and uncle at Chennai Central and my uncle got into the good books of us kids by treating us all to a cool drink. My cousin who is three years older to me played the big brother and asked for Coca Cola. After the first gulp I felt like throwing up. My nostrils seemed to be burning. Had the guard waved a red flag I would have charged at him like a raging bull! This was 1969.
I never felt the urge to drink it again till its demise in 1977. Of course, I had heard my cousin’s story that you plop two anacins(or any other aspirins for that matter) and drink coke you would be on seventh heaven or hell! That did not make me curious until Coke had been thrown out. I used to wonder how would it be to taste Coke. I felt that Georgie had acted a tad foolishly there was obviously better things to do than go about banning aerated drinks. The Swadeshi substitute politically named ’’Double seven ’’ was a double disaster. Coke lovers hated it and Swadeshi lovers had no stomach for an aerated drink. It probably died within three years of its debut.
In college some of my friends used to brag about the experiences of having had three bottles in a single sitting, coke with a cigarette etc. Also there was this myth about the formula of Coke’s X ingredient being so secret that only three people knew it and all three never travelled together for fear of taking the formula with them to the grave.(I wish this were true in which case I hope they spend this Christmas in Ramallah or Hamaas and get in the way of a well guided missile! )
Slowly I became curious. I wanted to ascertain for myself the truth about coke. But I could not lay my hands on the real thing. By this time Thums Up had appeared . This tasted like charcoal. I used to drink Limca or Gold Spot during summer.
I finished studies , took up a job . I had gone to Chennai for a vacation and incidentally I was at the very same cousin’s place who had told me the anacin story. He returned from work carrying a couple of bottles of coke. He was very excited. He said coke was being launched on that day and as a promotional gimmick they wer distributing some bottles free. He had managed to lay his hands on a couple! We spent some time on finding the bottle opener and at last the time had come. I still vividly can picture my cousin’s look of confusion, dismay and anger that day. He said “they have changed it since I last drank it”- as a boy mind you-. It was stronger last time.( was he mentioning the alcohol content of a strong lager beer?) and had a certain indescribable taste” He felt cheated. I had taken my sip and it tasted to me just the same.
After that I have never liked Coke. I liked the book ’’The other man blinked’’ How the Cola war was won an account of Pepsi beating Cola in whatever sales in US of A. ( I had no love for Pepsi but may be because of the anticlimax to the expectation I felt happy in a strange sort of way. Freud might give it a proper label) I do not stock Coke or Pepsi in my fridge unless it comes as a freebee. Those bottles would usually be consumed by visitors to our house-or my six year old son.
This was the state of affairs till a month back when all hell broke loose over the contents of aerated drinks. Who says TV is all bad. My son too saw the coverage in most of the channels and has resolved not to drink them again. I have in my refrigerator a 2 litre can of Coke. My son with an ingenuity with only kids can come up said’’ Appa don’t worry we will find a use for this Coke.’’
And sure enough he has found one. He has now uses Coke as the main ingredient to carry out science experiments. He has been able to tell me Coke mixed with domex doesn’t fuzz that much. Coke mixed with roti dough disintegrates the dough in seconds., Coke mixed with Dettol soap produces bigger bubbles.’’ I do not know what is in store for me today. Who knows at this rate I might even ending up buying coke for my son’s experiments?
While the contents might be unknown what is clear is Coke has a different set of rules for US of A and a different set for India. This is deplorable. The amount of advertising they do to push the product is obscene.( It is true for Pepsi as well) Indians have a notoriously short memory so for all I know, come next summer millions might be seen gurgling the stuff. One thing is sure I will not be one of them. Hopefully my son would be with me!
Finally a little bird in Atlanta has let me out on the secret ingredient X of coke. It is carbolic acid mixed with dilute sulphuric acid, a pinch of washing soda and a dash of boot polish. This is for starters. The bird has also promised me the exact quantities and then everyone can make Coke at home! Thums Up, it seems, came very close - that is the reason they were bought over by Coke J- but they added excessive washing soda and forgot the boot polish part!