With A cigarette in my hand I felt like a man-Few years back listening and watching this snippet from social ad campaign would have certainly discouraged every smoker in India but unfortunately nothing much happened except few of those who somehow managed to quit smoking, and for others like us, we took it as a song dedicated to the manhood of every Indian. Fortunately womanhood too had an up rise with little alteration to the words of this song.
This little white stick has had many “avatars” in India. Call it a “Bidi” or “Chiroot” or “Chillum”, or our legendary “Hookah” every form has not only been appreciated but comfortably adjusted in our daily customs and rituals from ages. If “Chillum” was a ticket to wisdom in Hippy era., “bidi” is symbol of rural folks Hookah being related to ruling class of India and then came our very own “cigarette” which broke all class barriers. Every one suddenly graduated to cigarettes from bidi’s but chillum and Hookah survived and is occasionally offered in Lounge bars to signify “bonding to the roots” ideology of Gen Ex in India.
Study of history of cigarettes in India is inseparable from the history of cigarettes in totality. No one knows when they were born or to be precise “made” but historians believe cigarettes were born out of cigar buts “butted” by “gentlemen” in Europe and their generosity gave birth to revolutions and rebellions in the past. The very birth of cigarette is testimony to breaking the class barrier, what was discarded was adapted by those who couldn’t afford the “real thing”. In India cigarettes never existed instead there were Hukka’s and chillums and most celebrated bidi’s. No one knows when we Indians this exquisite art of rolling Virginia in tendu leaves but sure this was exemplary and today bidi’s with different flavours and names can be found all around Europe and US of A. Though we Indians still cherish our old brand “Ganesh Chhap” ( and guess there is a huge Hue and Cry over Ganesh Brand Beer in US of A by NRI’s a classic case of selective amnesia). Every India sometime or the other in life graduates from a bidi to cigarette and if unfortunately he doesn’t either he is the most downtrodden and suppressed or he is our bollywood Actor Jackie Shroff. And for those who graduate to cigarettes we have different brands to chose from, courtesy ITC Ltd and Godfrey Phillips Ltd.
Brand names of cigarettes have a lot to do with Indian psyche. A 555 B&H in your pocket has more appeal than a Charminar or Panama. In fact it is more of the outer casing that matters rather than the sticks, only if you chose not to offer a single stick to those around you. Brand names are synonym to the regions of India if north goes for Capstan, south India appreciates Charminar or Bristol. Then come different forms of Cigarettes. Self rolled, Filter Less, with filter, navy cut, king size, lights, regulars and even mints and cardamoms and what nots. For those who believe cigarettes are not their kind they have varied choices of Cigars, king Edwards, Prince, Havana Etc but again these are less common because they symbolise a certain age group apart from the class and incomes.
It hurts every smoker in Delhi univ. when someone talks or takes out a demonstration against smoking within the campus. Cigarette has been great healer and bonder especially for those living in hostel barracks. It’s easy to recall how a single stick passes lips like Merlin Monroe kissing with her skirt on fire. All sense of caste and creed blow up in the smoke and socialism thrives. Many a time’s cigarettes have resolved mess bill and room change issues late nights in hostels. Cigarettes with a bottle of vodka and boiled eggs have been celebrated on every farewell part in chilling days of January winters in Delhi. Imagine how easy it is to knock on a fresher door to ask for a match stick knowing he doesn’t smoke and how he is welcomed to the cartel with the first puff he takes. Not only the class and caste barriers are lost even the age barrier is shattered. Delhi University sat down at “pundit ji’s” dhaba opposite KMC main gate and behind Hindu over a cup of tea and navy cut. And how many theories have been born for development of India next to D-school and FMS. How can someone even think of closing down Chai wallah within D-school offering 4 Squares to would be Amartya Sen’s and Manmohan Singhs ( and hay Sardars smoke too…I can bet on that).
Cigarettes are not only great unifying force but tobaccos has saved world on great occasions, and if you happen to ask me how? Remember Winston Churchill with a cigar in WWII… or Present Day Fidel Castro or Sherlock Holmes with a pipe or our very own Rajani Kant blowing up the whole godown with a single bidi ?... imagine what if these people weren’t smokers…won’t the world be lot unsafe than ever… and if that’s not enough remember George Bush when he decide to “smoke” Osama out of his caves… well no one knows what smoking this intellect of universe was talking about but I am sure Osama is still “smoking” it out in his hide outs.
Some people believe smoking helps them concentrate and stay awake late nights and make India hop and run on the road to prosperity. Though it has been time and again proved that apples keep you awake more than a cup of coffee or a pack full of cigarettes but then it seems there is lot flesh to it…how else can you stay awake if it were not coughing and spitting blood late nights. In a country like India where condom use is still scarce as an ass’s horns there seems no other feasible family planning method other than smoking… it not only plans your family without a smoker but also makes sure the smoking couple is “smoked out” of the world sooner than later (still wonder why sanjai Gandhi took up compulsory vasectomy and tubectomy in emergency days?) besides proving much needed revenues to counter the huge budgetary deficit.
Cigarettes are a symbol of Freedom and Independence to Gen Ex and especially to females who had always been taken in for feeble sex. Though a woman visiting Vishno devi and wearing vermillion in her hair partings with a mangalsootra round her neck very well defies the notion of freedom from cliché’s and chauvinism. India has always been liberal when it comes to smoking in women. Rural woman have always been smoking bidi’s and though they are looked down upon as behenjis or mata ji’s but metropolitan females are same with a little variation… no leaves but a paper. (And guess what… we call them educated and modern woman) this is in spite of the fact that it has been proved to be more harmful to the fairer sex ( hay it smells bad when you kiss a girl who had a bidi or fag stick…doesn’t it?). But then again… who cares.. One can give life to be free isn’t it?
So much said and written the bottom line still remains and proved beyond doubt, for us Indians smoking is in our blood. We have lived through the ages listening to songs like “dum maro dum” and “main zindagi ka saath” besides “smoke on the water” and “the wall”. Not only us but even the “white skins” have been born with this peculiar trait in their characters. At least there is somewhere we can match their wits, we have time and again outnumbered and outshined them when it comes to finding new ways and methods to smoke and make this habit acceptable not only to the society but also make it a part of our religions whether that’s through “bam bam bhole” chants or “salaam wale qums”. And to end it all, none of us is to blame for once Marilyn mansion sung this song which went “I don’t like the drugs but the drugs like me”…and sure the fag stick loves and adores us.
