Student activists in Imphal burn smokeless tobacco products worth ₹10 lakh

Members of the Kangleipak Students’ Association, on Saturday (October 31) raided three shops in Thangal market in Imphal and seized large quantities of smokeless tobacco and set ₹10 lakh worth products on fire on a bonfire.

The student body is frustrated with the Manipur government not doing enough to enforce the ban (announced in April) on on the sale and consumption of the tobacco products in Manipur, The Hindu reported.

Although some raids have been conducted , tobacco products, including all kinds of cigarettes, continue to be sold.

The raids started at 10 a.m. and lasted about an hour. No police came to intervene.

Publicity secretary of the KSA H. Babloo told The Hindu, “There is strict instruction from the health officials not to spit on the roads as it will spread COVID-19. However, it is common sight to see people chewing tobacco products spit here and there.”

He said the government has not done enough to enforce the ban order on all tobacco products. The raids were, therefore, carried out to draw the attention of the government to these lapses.

There is no report, yet, of police arresting the three traders.