Recently, I had to attend a function organised by a media house in Howrah. Waiting for the Geetanjali Express at the Tatanagar railway station, I bothered about the delay as the blaring loudspeakers regretted the inconvenience. I hobbled on to my compartment and located my seat, got comfortable and took a sigh of relief as soon as the train arrived. It was not late before the train resumed the journey. I was just mulling over something when my eyes fell on a ubiquitous red plaque with black text stamped just above my window. Smoking is prohibited and the violators would be punished with fine or imprisonment or both, it read.
The train was running smoothly and everything was normal until it took a short halt at a non-descript junction and two pesky vendors forced their way in the reservation coach and started selling their products with strenuous slogans. The loud promotion of cigarettes, tobacco packets and related products raised many eyebrows but no passenger said anything about it. Both of them were doing brisk business without a tinge of worry on their faces.
In the meantime, a stern and abrupt voice from the corridor of lavatory called them. Both of them answered the call without any delay. I was inquisitive. I heard some wrangling, quibbling, and most loudly haggling voices. Soon silence reigned and the vendors once against started making noises. Someone exhaled a great cloud of obnoxious smoke.
The Train Ticket Examiners (TTEs) asked for tickets. I offered. They initialled and moved on, busy doing their duty. The atmosphere turned choking as some more cigarettes were lit. A mild, verbal, feud started when some of the no-smoker peregrinators interfered. Complaints were made to the TTEs but they remained unfazed. “Let’s leave it! It is no use! Smoking cannot be totally prohibited in such places,” one of them tried to persuade.
“Smoking is banned in public places, you know! And don’t you know, thousands of people die every year who have never smoked, from passive smoking,” I intervened. An unproductive debate ensued as some of the smokers made counter comments. “Indian laws are notorious for loopholes and vagueness and Indians for violating them,” one of the smokers quipped and they all laughed. The TTEs were still unfazed.
I sensed helplessness but tried another salvo in my defence: “You may be aware that second-hand smoking is dangerous and causes cancer, heart diseases and other serious conditions in adults. At least, 2,00,000 workers [globally] die every year from passive smoking at work.”
One of them got serious: “Smoking is taboo at home. Offices are smoke-free these days. Almost every place is a public place. Where do we go then?”
“Death and harmful effects! What about those dreadful buses, lorries and other vehicles that cause a major part of harmful smokes hazardous for health,” they asked. No one opposed the smokers. I flicked a glance around. The TTEs had gone.
Some more opponents joined in and the discussion turned into argument. I tried to avoid it, but some young opponents became aggressive. “I have years of experience in trying to evade hawk-eyed elders and teachers who give smokers short-shrift. Everything depends on whether you get the better of the law enforcers or vice versa,” he asserted.
One of the young smokers mockingly puffed out spirals of smoke at the steel plaque above my window. I glanced through the window and wondered why we find it so difficult to stick to the law. “More than 200,000 people die due to passive smoking”, the words continued to ring in my mind. One of the vendors claimed: “Sir, it is our business and we pay for it. Did you fail to notice that the TTEs charged us?” I was stunned.
