Within the wake of the extra 25% tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on India taking impact on August 27, 2025, a personal college in Punjab not too long ago ‘banned’ American drinks on its campus.
Aam Aadmi Celebration Rajya Sabha MP and founder-Chancellor of Beautiful Skilled College (LPU), Ashok Kumar Mittal, in a submit on X, stated: “In the present day, in direct response to Trump’s 50% tariffs, LPU has banned American drinks on campus, giving a clarion name for Swadeshi 2.0. The message is evident. India is not going to bow right down to any unfair techniques of the USA. Let’s work collectively to make India stronger from inside.”
Curiously, as early as August 2003, a state college in Tamil Nadu had taken the fizz out of Pepsi and Coca-Cola by banishing them from its canteen following allegations of poisonous pesticides within the drinks.
A report printed in The Hindu on August 8, 2003, stated: “Amid allegations of the presence of poisonous pesticides in tender drinks offered within the nation, the Anna College at present banished Pepsi and Coca Cola drinks from its sprawling campus at Guindy and Chromepet.”
Quoting a press launch from the college, the report stated: “The Vice-Chancellor, E. Balagurusamy, ordered the ban of sentimental drinks manufactured by Pepsi and Coca Cola with speedy impact, contemplating the welfare of scholars and workers. The choice, adopted yesterday’s announcement by the Chairman, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Meals Administration in New Delhi that tender drinks manufactured by Pepsi and Coca-Cola could be banished from Parliament.”
E. Balagurusamy, then Vice-Chancellor of Anna College in Chennai, in 2004
| Photograph Credit score:
M. Moorthy
Following the order, Pepsi and Coca-Cola disappeared from the college canteen, lengthy identified for its reasonably priced and high quality meals, and from different campus retailers as nicely. This transfer set the tone for the backlash in opposition to multinational drinks and in line with a professor, the ban remains to be on contained in the campus. Prof. Balagurusamy ensured a contemporary juice stall functioned on the canteen, as a substitute.
Then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa chaired a gathering with Ministers and officers on August 12, 2003, and directed that stringent motion be taken if Pepsi and Coca-Cola merchandise in Tamil Nadu have been discovered to include pesticide residue.
The Chief Minister “took critical be aware of stories reviews and desired that the incidence of such ranges of pesticide residue in tender drinks offered in Tamil Nadu by Pepsi and Coca-Cola ought to be instantly investigated.” She directed that samples from every model be examined at an accredited laboratory in Chennai and on the Central Meals Technological Analysis Institute in Mysore.
Then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in 2003. File
| Photograph Credit score:
S.R. Raghunathan
Annamalai College follows swimsuit
Just a few days later, Annamalai College in Chidambaram additionally banned the sale of Pepsi and Coca-Cola contained in the campus. A report printed in The Hindu on August 14, 2003, quoting L.B. Venkatrangan, the Vice-Chancellor of the college, stated: “Following the findings of sure organisations concerning the presence of pesticide residue above the permissible limits in these drinks, these manufacturers had been taken out of the shelf of the canteens and hostels within the College.”
He stated college members and hostel wardens had been directed to not serve these colas throughout college and departmental features, hostel day celebrations, and related occasions.
On the courtroom
In the meantime, the problem additionally reached the courts. The Madras Excessive Courtroom admitted a Public Curiosity Litigation (PIL) petition from an advocate looking for a route to the State authorities to kind a committee to look at the contents of Coca-Cola and Pepsi and examine their manufacturing items.
On August 13, 2003, the First Bench comprising the Chief Justice, B. Subhashan Reddy, and Justice A.Ok. Rajan ordered notices to the Well being Secretary and the businesses.
The petitioner, G. Rajendran, contended customers have been entitled to know the contents, together with the proportion of dangerous substances. Counting on the findings of a Delhi-based service discussion board, and reviews alleging the presence of pesticide and different dangerous substances above permissible limits, the petitioner questioned how the Well being Division had did not take any steps to analyse the standard of those drinks manufactured and offered in Tamil Nadu.
Tender coconut marketing campaign
In the meantime, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) organised a young coconut promotion marketing campaign at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in August 2003. Then TNCC president S. Balakrishnan stated it was the responsibility of each citizen to boycott drinks produced by multinationals, as they have been dangerous to well being.
Then TNCC president S. Balakrishnan and different Congress leaders in the course of the marketing campaign for tender coconut at Sathiyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai on August 9, 2003
| Photograph Credit score:
The Hindu Archives
He charged the MNCs, via their items, have been attempting to manage the nation’s financial system. Pure drinks reminiscent of coconut and palmyra water weren’t solely good for well being but in addition helped farmers get a greater worth for his or her produce. The occasion employees additionally broke cola bottles.
Three years later, after a regime change in Tamil Nadu, the DMK authorities too prolonged help for the ban on Pepsi and Coke. A report printed in The Hindu on August 9, 2006, recorded the Tamil Nadu Meeting dialogue on this matter.
C. Gnanasekaran of the Congress stated within the Meeting that the governments of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh had banned the sale of Coke and Pepsi and requested whether or not Tamil Nadu would do the identical.
In his reply, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi stated the State authorities would lengthen help if the Centre imposed a nationwide ban on Coke and Pepsi. “There have been no hurdles in imposing a ban on the tender drinks. However what if Pondicherry or different States allowed their sale after we imposed a ban? Since we have now accepted the idea of 1 India, we’ll toe the road if the ban was imposed,” Karunanidhi added.
Printed – September 02, 2025 01:45 pm IST
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