Shekhar Kapur took to Twitter to talk about multinational company Coca Cola and the adverse effect their policies are having on the lives of farmers.
The director, who often talks about environmental issues like global warming and climatic changes on his page, argued about the soft drink owners destroying the lives of farmers in the country. On Sunday, at around 1 pm, Shekhar posted:
"If Coca Cola is drawing our ground water and destroying crops for miles around, would you stop drinking Coke? If it was proved that Coke is taking water away from farmers and their livelihood, should our stars advertise for Coke and Pepsi?
And if our stars refused to stop, would you refuse to see their films? How far are you willing to go personally?" When someone asked Kapur on the site if he had any proof to follow up his statement, he added, "Am at the airport on (my) way to London, as soon as I get there will give you proof of Coke taking water away from farmers."
We decided to check with the actors who endorse these fizzy drinks and get a reaction on Shekhar's statements. It wasn't a big surprise that none of them chose to reply.
We asked them, "Shekhar Kapur has tweeted about manufacturers of Coke and Pepsi taking water away from farmers and affecting their livelihood. As someone who endorses the product, what do you have to say ?"
Pepsico and Coca Cola India were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
Who: Imran KhanEndorses: Coke
Time of Contact: 4 pm
Delivered: Yes
Reply Status: None
Who: Aamir Khan
Endorses: Coke
Time of Contact: 4 pm
Delivered: Yes
Reply Status: None
Who: Akshay Kumar
Endorses: Thums Up
Time of Contact: 5. 30 pm
Delivered: Yes
Reply Status: None
Who: Ranbir Kapoor
Endorses: Pepsi
Time of Contact: 4 pm
Delivered: Yes
Reply Status: None
Who: Kalki Koechlin
Endorses: Coke
Time of Contact: 4.05 pm
Delivered: Yes
Reply Status: None
Who: Deepika Padukone
Endorses: Pepsi Time of Contact: 6 pm
Delivered: yes
Reply Status: none
Farmers v/s Coca Cola
An ongoing drought has threatened groundwater supplies across India. Many villagers in rural areas are blaming the cola major for aggravating the problem. CC operates 52 water-intensive bottling plants in India.
In the southern Indian village of Plachimada in Kerala, for example, persistent droughts have dried up groundwater and local wells, forcing many residents to rely on water supplies trucked in daily by the government.
"Drinking Coke is like drinking farmer's blood in India, " says protest organiser Nandlal Master, who represents India Resource Center in the campaign against Coca-Cola, adding "Coca-Cola is creating thirst in India and is directly responsible for the loss of livelihood and even hunger for thousands of people across India."
