The negative propoganda is going strong against Coke and Pepsi and this time the State Govt. have not lagged behind in taking up their cudgels against these erring MNC companies.
While KERALA GOVT has put a blanket ban on
production and sale of these soft drinks, other states like RAJASTHAN, MP, PUNJAB AND GUJARAT, KARNATAKA, ANDHRA PRADAESH have just banned the sale of these in educational institutions and hospitals and govt instituitions.
Meanwhile both the companies are busy unleashing torrents of advertorials which claim that the drinks adhere to the norms set by the EU, which are one of the most stringent of laws in the world. Coke is even willing to invite the public to take a guided tour of there production houses, so that the public can see with their own eyes how clean the water is or how many processes are carried out to make coke fit to be consumed.
Pepsi on its part, as a retort has planned to move the Kerala High Court against the decision of the ruling party to ban the production and sale of these drinks.
While the reaction of the various govt. is just a reflex action, it is yet to be seen whether this takes any concrete shape and becomes a legalised ban or it is just going to be put on the back burner to simmer and to be studied at a more appropriate time.
I would to end by saying that while the present govt. and the other political parties jostle and scream from the rooftops about the impacts of these drinks, we dont even know that the successive govt. will take any interest in these crusades or just push them away as some noise made by an angry petulant child, it is up to us, the citizens to decide whether it is good for us or not.