Starting March 1, Traders in the State will not sell popular Soft Drinks and mineral water Brands of multinational companies. They will instead encourage Indian brands.

Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaipu president A.M. Vikramaraja said the whole of February would be spent on educating traders and consumers about the evils of these foreign brands.

“They cause more harm than good to the body. Only recently, one of the brands had admitted to the fact that it was not suitable for children and that it contained certain harmful chemicals,” he said.

Mr. Vikramaraja said that though the association, which has as many as 6,000 affiliated member associations and 15.87 lakh members, had been fighting Kinley and Pepsico from 1998, they were unable to stop selling them as there was a demand from consumers.

“During the recent protest by students demanding conduct of jallikattu, the youngsters had sought a ban on these soft drinks since they draw our groundwater and take the profits outside the country. Encouraged by that, we are taking this campaign forward,” he said.

Mr. Vikramaraja also said that the Peramaipu would also ask restaurants and hotels too to not sell these brands.

The general body meeting of the Peramaipu at Villupuram on Tuesday, also decided to hold the annual meeting in Villupuram on May 5.

S.A. Ponnusamy of Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association said that they would not sell milk manufactured by a particular MNC. A hotelier said that he would move to Indian brands.