No Smoking!!

I feel really elated to hear this news! The ban on smoking in public places! And Wow! What a beautiful article in THE WEEK! But I would like to put forth my views! A real good move that might go in a long way in preventing the society from many evils. Kudos to Anbumani Ramadoss for bringing this into effect. That too on Gandhi Jayanthi. It requires real bravery to bring such a ban on smoking.. As good things always have criticism, this ban has also attracted its own share of detractors especially from the Bollywood and Kollywood fraternity.

I was really happy that SRK has voiced his support towards the ban though he had not promised he would quit smoking.. :)Thats de main problem with addiction.. You tend to give up a habit after rigorous efforts and unbelievable levels of mind control.. But on seeing an old mate with a small puff or a small bottle of alcohol u r pushed back into the trap with a renewed vengeance of continuing it forever! The slide downhill is always the easiest, be it in life or smoking, but it ll definitely lead to hell. Am seriously sincere in these words! IT WILL LEAD YOU TO HELL!

But I have 0% rights on people who smoke and its their individual wish to smoke or drink or whatever they like to do. We cant mend people by law alone. U cant stop a diabetic person from eating sweets or restrain a young lad with eye power from watching tv or computers. It lies in their willpower. Similarly, (though the comparison might seem unfair) we cant always check a smoker.

But this ban protects the non smokers instead of the smokers. And thats what i like in this ban. It does not say, "Smoking Is Illegal! A Smoking person in India will be jailed" or any such crap! It clearly states, "Smoking In PUBLIC PLACES is banned"! Thus it provides a sigh of relief from the cigarette smoke which I assure most of the non smokers detest. And when children dont see their elders smoking in the middle of the road the chances of they getting into the smokers' lobby is very less.. As the children are the most impressionable of all..(These points I put forth assuming that parents dont tend to smoke in front of their children in their houses! :)) From these points of view I wholeheartedly appreciate the ban and I salute the Health Ministry as a whole! Because if I congratulate the health minister alone people may twist it as a supporter of a particular party and make this whole serious issue of health as politics!

Because as adults its our duty and responsibility to guide our next generation. They may or may not take it. But we should be in a position to help them differentiate between good and bad. And that will definitely go a long way in shaping their destiny and their future which in turn decides the state of our society and ultimately the fate of our nation. Sometimes small things go a long way!

So, I sincerely wish this ban is strongly enforced..

And by 2020 (Kalam's Year) I hope there will be no smokers in our country!

You may term it as greed. But I will term it as HOPE!

Please Give Up Smoking.
Your Well Wisher,
Vignesh.