One man, up against the wall

Tuesday, January 23 (Ahmedabad):

One man's fight against the combined might of gutka companies continues, despite his death in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Thirty-seven-year-old Haresh, a former gutka addict who had oral cancer, filed a petition in the state high court asking them to direct the government to ban the sale of gutka in the state.

Haresh, who was a gutka addict for 12 years, lost his battle with cancer, but his family says they will continue his fight against cancer-causing substances like gutka. Bhimji Bhai Visrolia, Haresh's father, "My son is dead and gone, but other men are poor. What will their fate be? That is why the gutka companies must not be allowed to run. The government should put restrictions on such companies. Why doesn't the government do something?"

In Haresh's case, the cancer had affected his carotid artery, which supplies blood to the brain and ultimately, the tumour destroyed this artery, causing him to bleed to death. Dr. Kinner C Shah, explains, "This kind of death is so horrible to the patient and the attending doctor and the worst part is that this could have been prevented. These deaths are caused by cancer and in this case, it is caused exclusively by tobacco."

Rani Advani, lawyer for Haresh, said, "When the court actually sees a patient afflicted with cancer, which obviously Haresh had, it has a tremendous impact -- actually showing to the court what happens to gutka victims. We have lost that opportunity because of several postponements in the case."

Despite the grief of having lost Haresh, his family is determined to see that other lives are not lost and they say that fighting the case he started is the best they can do for him.