While non smokers have heaved a sigh of relief over the directive, manufacturers plan to take recourse to law against the court order. 50 per cent of tobacco consumption in the country is in the form of beedis the manufacturers of which are mainly concentrated in the districts of Kannur and Kasaragod.

Thousands of protesting beedi workers have planned a massive march before the Kochi High Court on September 29. But the agitators are not directly opposed to the ban and are not in fact demanding its withdrawal but they want an urgent review of the same so that the ongoing strict implementation is relaxed. C Kannan, secretary of the Kerala beedi and cigar workers federation, spearheading the agitation says, ``the ban is a direct threat to the livelihood of two lakhworkers and their dependents. It should be reviewed to protect their jobs.''

The landmark judgement prohibits smoking in public places including theatres, bars, restaurants, schools, shops, railway stations, railway compartments, bus stands and footpaths The judgement came in the backdrop of tobacco leading to over six lakh deaths in India annually and causing about 50 per cent of all types of cancers.

Kerala Dinesh Beedi (KDB), the largest beedi manufacturing company in the corporate sector, which registered a turnover of Rs 70 crore last year, is doubtful of maintaining its production level if the decline in sales continues.

``KDB has recorded a steep fall (over 30 per cent) in sales during the last one month and production stands affected due to poor off-take by agents from within the state and outside'', says the Manager P Ravindran.

The Kannur-based KDB, employing about 40,000 persons has introduced a severe cut in production and says if the ban continues, a majority of the workers might gojobless. It is this fear that is the main focus of the agitation.

With an annual turnover of Rs 1,200 crore, the tobacco industry pays in rich terms to the country's exchequer. The beedi industry alone contributes Rs 650 crore in terms of excise revenue. Thus, in an industry-starved state like Kerala, these statistics point out a shattered economy in the aftermath of the ban. Says Hariharan, a government servant and regular smoker for 20 years, ``the ban cannot be effective as it is applicable only in the State. Such a directive ought to have come after serious discussions and at various levels.''

For vendors largely dependent on railway platforms, compartments and bus stands for sale, the ban has come as a rude shock. ``The court should have suggested an alternative for us as we don't have the necessary finance to open a shop or switch over to some other job'', says Babu a vendor who has been rendered unemployed since the ban. But the ban has garnered an overwhelming support from the non-smoking public.``Public smoking is nothing but a direct infringement on the fundamental right of non-smokers to breathe clean air,'' says Saleena of Kozhikode. While most political parties have kept away from the issue, CPI-M State Secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan says smoking should be countered through persuasion and not persecution.

Meanwhile, taking cue from the Kerala High Court order, a public interest writ has already been filed in the Karnataka High Court seeking a similar ban in the State.