Cola Wars....A ground reality ??

In response to my previous post, i got a mail from a class 10th student, Anupama from Kerala. She has written about the plight of the Villages where Coke has setup their factory . Read on -

I am Anupama.Studying in 10th.From Kerala.I have got much work to do than write an email to someone I don’t know.But you must know trhe truth.
Today when I read your opinion about Kerala government banning cola,I was absolutely shocked.

I used to drink cola-till a few years back.
One day ,a middle aged man with a white beard came to our school.He told us about a place called Plachimada.The coca cola plant is situated in plachimada.

The company promised jobs for the villagers[mostly adivasis].But only a few got jobs.
The company dug 16[or 60] borewells.
The water table depleted.Within 1 year,the wells there dried up.Even if there was water,it was salt water.The villagers started a protest in front of the company.
The company gave the waste matter to the farmers saying that it was a good fertilizer.But the trees were destroyed and the once green village is now barren.
The women have to walk 5 kilometers every day for water.They have to buy drinking water.

Our school went there with a group of students[I included] to support their protest.
Our teacher wanted to go to toilet.The man of the house said,we don’t have enough water,since we have to buy it.So please use it carefully.
Our sir was touched and he paid the price of one bucket of water[60rs]

The next time we went ,it was an international conference.We had food from there by the organisers.But we could hardly wash our hands because there wasn’t enough water.

We stopped drinking cola
-not because CSE found pesticides in it
-not because government banned it
-not because we wanted to show-off

But because we were touched by the plight of the innocent villagers.
Later media & politicians used the chance to their advantage by banning cola.

The local newspapers carried reports of even solid waste in cola bottle[my friends have the paper cuttings]

In UP too there is a plant and the villagers are suffering.
Wherever the company has spread its tentacles,protests broke out.

PLEASE GIVE A SECOND THOUGHT BEFORE YOU OPEN THE BOTTLE.

BECAUSE,THE LIQUID INSIDE IS MADE FROM THE TEARS OF THOSE VILLAGERS…..
THE SIZZLING SOUND IS THE VOICE OF THEIR PROTEST……..

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A really passionate plea from a young girl . I myself am ambivalent about the issue. I am concerned about the exploitation and yet somehow i cant bring myself to stop drinking colas . Dont know what to do about this