Protest - Ban on Sale of Non-Iodized Salt in India

To:  The Law and Not Any Person(s)

BAN ON SALE OF NON-IODISED SALT

BACKGROUND

There is a ban on the sale of non-iodized salt in India (by a law introduced on May 17, 2006 by the government) and experts have warned that this will cause various skin allergies and disorders along with mental depression on a massive scale in years to come.

From 17th May, a law has been passed which bans sale of un-iodized salt in India. Iodized salt is available for an average of Rs. 10/- whereas un-iodized salt was available for @ Re 1/-. Where are ten rupees and where is one rupee?

SOME FACTS

1. Iodine is essential for memory power and as an essential ingredient in food. However iodine also evaporates above temperature of say 35 degrees Celsius. So due to hot climate in India, as soon as we open the salt pack, most of the iodine content gets evaporated. We add salt in food - do we
add it while it is being cooked or after it is cooked?

2. If we add it during cooking, the temperature is definitely more than 45 degrees which means there is no iodine content in food transferred from salt! Iodine is available in green leafy vegetables like spinach and 6 such other natural sources.

3. Salt alone need not be forced upon as iodine source. So cold states like Himachal, Arunanchal, J&K can have that as a law to have iodized salt. But why the whole of India? Just so that MNCs can get 15000 crores of rupees from selling iodized salt in India? Whom are we favoring here? Indian folks or MNCs?

4. Cattle in villages are fed broken rice & cattle drink for which people add salt, and typically they buy bags of salt (say 50kg )+ they also need large quantity of salt in coastal area to feed the coconut trees; so this issue was talked about in South-Karnataka with regards to cow-feed and
coconut farmers. They can not afford to buy iodized salt.

More information on the salt ban and less known facts from an authentic source..
http://www.indiatogether.org/2006/jul/hlt-saltmess.htm

another interesting link
http://www.freeindiamedia.com/health/17_july1_06.html

MORE FACTS

1. The law has been introduced to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), which are prevalent in financially backward zones. However, the iodization itself raises the cost of salt more than 5 times. How affordable does it remain for the poor?

2. The original iodizing agent is potassium iodide, but that’s unstable in Indian tropical climate. So what is used instead is potassium Iodate, which by the way has been banned by western countries. Potassium Iodate is expensive and is already being replaced by cheaper adulterators like Potassium Bromate etc, which act as slow poison.

3. Most of Indian soil contains iodine. Exceptions are hilly areas like Himachal where soil gets eroded. Percentage of population affected by IDD is hardly 2\%. Putting a blanket ban like this subjects the remaining population to the risk of a) adulteration and food poisoning and b) excess
iodine leading to thyrotoxicosis. Healthcare facilities reach only about 10\% of the Indian population right now. How is the government going to handle potentially 98\% of the population when health complications arise in a few years?

4. This is a repeat of how pesticides and fertilizers were introduced few decades ago. Innocent farmers were told, scientific research says pesticides are good for the soil. The result - after 3 decades. Take any day's newspaper at random, you will find news of farmers committing suicides. It is very possible that few years down the line, it is discovered that Selenium, which is needed to break down Potassium Iodate in the body, is becoming deficient in the population. In which case, there's a need to introduce "rice with selenium" and ban sale of natural rice!

5. All this assumes importance in the context of the global markets for genetically modified food. Europe doesn't want it. Australia doesn't want it. India... of course, we'll take it! Consider the economics –
the price rise is about Rs. 8/- per kg of salt. Market size - about 1.25 billion people guaranteed to eat salt everyday!

ACTION POINTS

Knowledge is power... let's empower the people around us... lets make it a point to talk about this to someone new everyday and educate them... lets fight for our right to choose... it looks like it's going to be a long battle.. If not on grounds of religion or ethnicity, let every community in our country unite on THIS issue... we have a lot at stake...

Let's be ready to take on history because we might have to... Let's prepare for the second Salt Satyagraha.

Mahatma Gandhiji had started Satyagraha for a restriction passed on by British rule on salt manufacture and sale in that era. In British rule, 30\% of income had to be spent on salt so that British could make money out of
erstwhile Indian pockets.

Many people in India do not even know about this law so far. We need to spread awareness and do the right thing to indicate our displeasure.

There are cigarettes and liquor sold very openly in India, with just one message 'consumption is injurious to health' that makes it good enough for sale. Government does not do anything for such substances, and they are behind salt!

In villages like Malegaon etc in India, even remote villages than these, we can easily get soap 'Dove' - MNCs have penetrated to the roots of India. Look at any other country - you will get what that country manufactures, anywhere in that country first and then you may have to look for other
country items. Is this the case in our India?

We should all start using homegrown products wherever possible. Else we are going to end up in making our country poorer and poorer by such salt laws in future.

I sign this petition to protest the ban as it is harmful for the health of India and its residents.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Protest - Ban on Sale of Non-Iodized Salt in India Petition to The Law and Not Any Person(s) was created by All Those Who Care For Indian's Health and written by Basant Lalchandani (basanthlalchand@gmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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