The VHAI film on bidi workers, "Turning their Lives to Ashes" was screened in several locations and the advocacy team took the opportunity to discuss/highlight some crucial issues like, health effects of bidi smoking as well as bidi rolling, pack warnings, taxation policies of bidi industry, issues of child labour in bidi industry, violation of basic human rights and exploitations of the bidi workers, etc.

All these screening events were well attended by cross sections of people including senior officials from several ministers, important officials from various government departments (health, women & child, labour, human rights, commerce, etc), representatives UN organizations, various civil society organizations, prominent citizens, celebrities, and media. The project team members from Delhi attended most of these state level screenings and facilitated discussions and media interactions on the crucial issues around the bidi industry. Following are the locations where the screening took place:

• Lucknow ( Uttar Pradesh): April 22, 2009
UPVHA screened the film on 'Turning Their Lives to Ashes' at Vinoba Seva Ashram Shahjahanpur on 22nd April 2009. There were over 50 participants from different states like Gujarat, MP, and Bihar and Delhi who joined this event and appreciated the film. Apart from this there were representatives from all the important government departments, NGOs and media.

The Chief Medical Officer of Dist. Shahjahanpur , Dr. A.K. Shrivastva expressed his views that Tobacco use is a major global public health problem. Tobacco is mainly responsible for serious killer disease like cancer, asthma, and tuberculosis etc. He suggested that there is a need for generating awareness in the rural and urban communities, and also among young generation who are the victims of tobacco products. Uttar Pradesh has a large number of bidi consumers and is also a bidi manufacturing state. Therefore, further advocacy on bidi issues is extremely important and our state partners are planning to take this issue at the policy level as well as at the grassroots by sensitizing the bidi workers on harmful effects of bidi rolling.

• Chennai ( Tamil Nadu): May 21, 2009
TNVHA was entrusted to screen the film by VHAI in Tamil Nadu and took this opportunity to release the study on bidi workers in Chennai. The event was scheduled on May 21, 2009 at 11 a.m. at Hotel Breeze in Chennai. The list of invitees were from various Government Departments, eminent Researchers, speakers, and representatives from UN organizations, Press and Media people and local NGOs also were contacted to enrich the programme.

Ms. Apoorva IAS., Special Secretary to Govt. Health & Family Welfare Department, in her inaugural address pointed out that some decades ago the problem of Bidi workers was of bonded labourer. But that is not the issue now. It is the type of work and its only visible benefit to the family is that -people involved can work on their own time sitting at home. So the alternatives have to be identified carefully which are suitable for their socio-cultural environment. She suggested taking up a pilot project in a pocket (area) and designing for their development right now and after two years share the outcome, for this all need to work together. Government schemes like Varumun Kappom can help. She assured to take up this matter as a challenge and do something for rehabilitation of the bidi workers. TNVHA assured to join hands to take up this pilot work. There was good media coverage of this event.

• Ahmedabad ( Gujarat): May 30, 2009
On May 30, 2009, Gujarat Voluntary Health Association organized the screening of bidi documentary film as a part of their week-long programme on World No Tobacco Day near Ahmedabad, Gujarat. There were a huge number of participants including a Member of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly, Doctors, Civil Society representatives, Social workers, Community leaders, etc. Since Gujarat is a hub of bidi tobacco farming as well as bidi manufacturing the film evoked a lot of interactive discussions among the participants. All the participants realized the urgent need for interventions in addressing the problems of bidi workers in their regions in particular and in general at the policy levels. There was good media coverage on the event.

• Agartala ( Tripura): June 20 & 21, 2009
Two Screenings of the bidi film took place in two different programmes in Agartala, the capital of the state of Tripura, on 20th & 21st of June 2009. The screenings were organized by Voluntary Health Association of Tripura (VHAT) at the state Circuit House. On the first day, the screening was attended by over 50 participants out of whom 20 were senior state Government Officials and rest were from reputed NGOs from Agartala and different media houses.


The second day was meant for the civil society organizations from all over the state and about 60 NGOs actively participated in the event . The District Magistrate of West Tripura District had released the study report and the film on bidi workers. Since Tripura is also a bidi manufacturing state, participants in both the days took a lot of interests in the bidi issues and actively interacted/expressed their views on the issue of alternative livelihood for bidi workers. Out state partner VHAT had also conducted a similar research on the plight of bidi workers in west Tripura district. The findings of this study were also shared with the participants and the local media picked up good stories form both the studies. The events concluded with lot of recommendations from the participants and commitments from the District Administrations in order to improve the lives of bidi workers.

• Delhi
a) April 28, 2009 at Delhi University Campus.
A screening of the bidi film was organized by Delhi University Women's Association (DUWA), a dynamic women's group working on various socially relevant issues.. Over 30 members of DUWA (members are mostly professors, lawyers, doctors and housewives) and a number of students of DU participated in the event. There was a presentation given by VHAI representative to introduce the film and the major findings of the study. This women group showed interests in working towards the issues of tobacco control and has recently launched a cancer awareness programme where tobacco issues will be integrated.
b) May 11, 2009, film screening was organized at Delhi Public School, a premier educational institute in India, for the faculty of Social Sciences. The screening was preceded by a presentation by VHAI representative to explain the background/context of the film. All the faculty members and the principal showed concerns for the problems of bidi workers, especially the issues of child labour. They all committed to work towards advocating for abolishing this menace from our society.