IN PHOTOS: Mumbai's slum girl fights tobacco abuse in Charkop with her music

The theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day is “We need food, not tobacco”. Taking inspiration from this theme, Snehal, Kshirsagar, a slum resident of Charkop, is innovating with the power of music to campaign against tobacco chewing

Updated On: 2023-05-31 03:02 PM IST

Compiled by : Ainie Rizvi

Snehal picked Vasudev as her avatar and merged the power of music to create an anti-tobacco anthem. Photo Courtesy: Snehal Kshirsagar

Known as masheri, this raw form of tobacco is a hot favourite amongst the slum dwellers of Charkop. Women head to local shops and procure a day’s quota of masheri in the morning

Next, they heat it on the pan along with harmful elements like sawdust for hours. This turns it more carcinogenic and toxic which women like to chew all day long

Snehal learnt about the ill- effects of tobacco through the Preventive Health Education Programme launched by Salaam Bombay Foundation for adolescents in Mumbai slums

Snehal picked Vasudev as her avatar and merged the power of music to create an anti-tobacco anthem. The lyrics of her composition represent the toxicity of chewing masheri. In Marathi language, she sings: "Hey, you quit tobacco now, don't be late, time is too short. Vasudev said that addiction is not good. Gutkha, tobacco is deadly. Hear the voice of Vasudev, hear the higher being in you"

Today, Snehal disguised as Vasudev, goes about her locality every fortnight to reinforce the message against tobacco. Often, she is accompanied by her friend while performing at the rickshaw stand outside her chawl, Malwani area and at her school in Charkop

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