The issue of pesticide and other carcinogen in Coca Cola- Pepsi is important finding, but the way it is being sensationalized at the expense of the real issue of depletion of natural resource for the indulgent few is what makes it ridiculous. The need of paradigm shift in dealing with such exploitative products and livelihood needs of impoverished people is what the real issue here is. Sensationalisation of these minor (minor compared to the real and immediate problem) is where the NGO breed elite squatting next to power centers, position themselves. For her previous effort the CSE head found herself taking on the responsibility of Tiger project!!!. Again and again just confining to and avoiding the real issue mainstream media and NGOs like CSE is colluding to divert the problem. At one level this can be seen as a mischief. A cheap publicity stunt- cheap since the media, the government and God damn NGOs based in metros have studiously avoided the reality of the problem threatening millions of people and their livelihood means. Cheap since they themselves are suggesting to use these products that is if the pesticide is within BSI limit. Within BSI limit Coca Cola –Pepsi will be acceptable it seems. Next agenda probably is to convince the dudes at plachimada and other places about how safe Coca Cola-Pepsi is!!!!.Wow. In the mainstream media such sensationalising works. However it makes joke of the effort of people who are fighting for the livelihood. It is like eating pure muck to cure diarrhea. And then they say the muck aint pure!!. Contaminant within BSI limit in Coca Cola Pepsi doesn’t mean anything for the people who are protesting and whose basic needs are being threatened. CSE probably has some tricks on high decibel media managing act which goes very well with script the Mcmedia is given- the concerns are within the prescribed limit. How 'people like us' are threatened by Coca Cola Pepsi or for that matter anything else resonates well in the mainstream media. CSE is adept in the game.
Offcourse to be fair these finding do throw light on how crass and crude Coca cola –Pepsi are with health and life of consumers, a fact people at grass root level are very well aware. In the stampede for making more profit they cannot even purify the water. Cheap and easy money must have made them lazy!!. The show is about packaging and marketing- some glossy ads and deal is done. And what NGOs (very dubious people have got into the business of running NGOs. It seems to be the place for maximum lick in metros) like CSE is telling them is steal it but properly !!!. It’s about not rocking the applecart- meaning bad PR. Licking has become an art…with NGOs it has become a high ROI deal.
