Yenna Sir! Ban Coke, Pepsi? And Drink What? Torino And Bovonto!

“IBA hopes that good sense will prevail and that consumers will continue to have the right to exercise their choice in Tamil Nadu”, the association said.

The two companies are facing a boycott from retailers in Tamil Nadu who have chose to shun their aerated drinks, citing health reasons and excessive use of water. The traders union has asserted that they are taking this decision to boycott Coke and Pepsi because it is harmful and contain germs. Spokespersons for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo declined to comment. “Once we clear the stock, we will take a call on what to do”, said Arunachalam, proprietor of a small grocery store at Porur.

Earlier in January this year, traders had announced that they will act against Pepsi and Coca-Cola during the protest to demand the Government of India permit Jallikattu, a traditional bull taming sport. She further said: “Someone who wants to drink Cola will find Cola despite all odds”. There is no suggestion the soft drink giants were in any way involved in the ban.

Retailers in India’s drought-hit southern state of Tamil Nadu stopped selling PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co.’s sodas on Wednesday alleging that the companies were depleting ground water. He added that the soft drinks will be manufactured in India henceforth, replacing all products now circulating in the market.

Foreign companies such as PepsiCo and the Coca-Cola Company, together, account for almost 90% of the Rs1,400-crore beverage market in the state. However, Vellaiyan also stated that this isn’t a Ban in actual terms, they have just requested the members not to sell these products and this includes every single product manufactured by these companies.

He claimed there was a 70 per cent dip in the sales of these cola brands ever since there was “awareness” among students during the pro-jallikattu protests “when many of them chose to stop endorsing such global brands”.

“People also protested against the laxity on the part of the authorities in handling the case”, sources said.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras high court Thursday dismissed two public interest litigations filed against supply of Thamirabarani river water to two companies engaged in bottling soft drinks and packaged drinking water for Coca-Cola and Pepsi.