After marriage the couple shifted to Viveknagar, as Srinivas was working in jewellery showroom in Abids. Within a year Lavanya picked up the habit of chewing gutka and paan and became an addict.
This deeply upset Srinivas, as he never used any such intoxicants and would chide Lavanya for her bad habits. The couple used to quarrel often on this issue.
Apart from worrying about her health, Srinivas was angry that Lavanya, instead of being the role model that she should be, consumed these products in the presence of their children.
Their disagreement reached a peak and Srinivas along with the children moved to his parents’ house. “However, instead of leaving the bad habits, she chose to leave this world,” says Vittal Rao, explaining her extreme step.
Lavanya poured kerosene on her body and set herself ablaze.
No expert on tobacco but I know both Gutka and Pann are both forms of a type of smokeless tobacco .
Instead of acceptance she was berrated for being a bad role model by using oral tobacco in front of her children.
This isn't drinking in front of a child,it's not beating a child or forcing a child to go to work it's none of the things you associate a being neglectful or abusive but still it's frowned upon and she is not exactly shown as being a good person or even a person at all.
I guess its the same everywhere and nicotine is the boogieman the one to be afraid of the one who will get you in the end.
To me the saddest part of all of it is that it doesn't seem like "tobacco killed " this woman ,it seems like society and her own family dove her to try and escape this in the worst possible way.
I also know the article says her last statement was that the addiction that lead to the situation,but I don't believe that's entirely accurate,I believe people can be pushed to extremes by the people who are supposed to love them the most.
