Tobacco, Slow Violence, and a Policy Turning Point: How Grassroots Evidence from Varanasi Helped Shape India’s New Tobacco Tax Framework
Tobacco, Slow Violence, and a Policy Turning Point: How Grassroots Evidence from Varanasi Helped Shape India’s New Tobacco Tax Framework “Every public opinion is not policy. For that, we need champions.” — Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi On 7 December 2025, Hindustan Varanasi, Newspaper carried a stark headline: “Tobacco causes cancer in 51.2% of men.” The report, based on district-level screening data, revealed that more than half of cancer cases among men in Varanasi are linked to tobacco use. Among women, tobacco-related cancers stood at a staggering 14.2% . According to the article, 57% of those screened came from rural areas , underscoring how deeply tobacco-related disease burdens India’s poorest and most underserved communities. This data is not merely alarming — it is a call to action. It is against this backdrop that a broader movement for fiscal and regulatory reform has picked up pace. And at its center stands the persistent advocacy of Jan Mitra Nyas and the People’s Vigilance Commi...