A boy buys khaini from a roadside vendor in Ranchi. The sale of khaini continues in spite of the ban on tobacco products. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, June 21: The blanket ban on tobacco products has posed a threat to khaini dealers, but those hooked on what arguably is the cheapest addiction insist they will find a way out of the problem.

The state government has imposed ban on sale and/or storage of gutkha, gul, paan masala and khaini by anyone or on behalf of anyone with effect from June 18 anywhere in Jharkhand.

At present, khaini is sold in practically every part of the capital. The major outlets include Kutchery Chowk, Ratu Road, Station Road, Doranda Market, Kanke road, CIP More and Piska More. Most customers prefer buying pouches which cost Re 1. Moreover, readymade khaini has also caught on.

Ramnaran Singh, a wholesaler, pointed out: “Every month some 8,000 to 10,000 kilograms of khaini comes to the capital. We mainly bring it from Samastipur. Besides, a portion also comes from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. But with this ban, we all are in a fix and just do not know what to do. Right now we have thought of reducing the demand to some extent. But we have not come to any concrete discision.”

But the people insisted that khaini just cannot be banned. Sukhram Kumar Mahto, a shopkeeper, said: “Putting a ban on cigarettes and even gutkhas is okay. But a ban on khaini is impractical. Ninety per cent of the people are addicted to this. And this includes even top ministers. Forget about us, what are they going to do?”

Girinath Sharma, an employee of Central Coalfield Limited (CCL), added, “I have been taking khaini for the past 10 years. Other than this I am not addicted to anything else. The government might have put a ban on it, but I am not worried at all. I very well know that khaini will continue to be sold. No one can stop it fully. Even gutkha has been banned. But their sale continues.”

Khaini addicts said if worse comes to worse, they will get khaini from Bihar through friends or relatives who keep shuttling from one state to another. “The ban is ridiculous. I go to Patna very often and I can easily get khaini there. Even if I don’t, some friend of mine will keep coming to Ranchi. They can get a month’s supply,” said a government employee.

Retailers, however, are a wee bit concerned. Shyamlal Singh said, “This is my only profession. Every day I buy 3 kg of khaini for Rs 90 per kg. I sell it at Rs 120 per kg. But with this ban, I am at a loss. What if the administration suddenly raids our shop and I have to close? I do not have any other business to fall back on. I will have to wrap everything up and go back to my village where there is no work. This thought is scary,” he said.