Indian tobacco industry raises concern after failing to obtain representation in COP7

With the Seventh Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) kick starting on Monday aiming at curbing tobacco consumption globally, the Indian tobacco industry has raised concern that the decisions in the meet may be one-sided affecting the Indian tobacco industry as no chance for their representation has given in the convention.

The Tobacco Institute of India (TII), which represents over 80% of the legal tobacco trade in India, alleged that the participation of stakeholders in the tobacco industry is essential to ensure that the farmer and industry' view point on various issues arising out of the COP7 Agenda is taken cognizance of and no unilateral and discriminatory one-sided decision is taken by the Parties to the Conference.

"We are concerned tobacco control activists and NGOs, who will have unhindered access to the conference, continue to wage a relentless campaign to influence Tobacco Control Policies in the country and promote a false propaganda that the Indian Government is obligated under the FCTC to implement provisions of the FCTC and introduce further regulations in the country which are excessive in nature and inimical to tobacco cultivation and the tobacco farming community", the association's director Syed Mahmood Ahmad said.

According to an industry official, the representation in COP7 comes in from countries which mostly consume tobacco in the form of cigarettes. The official is apprehensive that policy decisions will hence be taken where the brunt will be borne by the legal cigarette industry while other forms of tobacco consumption like chewing, bidi, zarda and others may not come under so much heat.

"In India, only 11% of the total tobacco consumption is in the form of cigarette while the rest comprises of other tobacco forms. On the other hand, the representatives attending COP7 are not familiarised with the Indian situation", the industry official wishing not to be named said.

As per the official, off the total tobacco consumed in EU and USA, 90% are in the form of cigarettes while it is only 11% in India.

To a query from Business Standard, the TII said that the FCTC allows the governments to consider their local conditions and domestic priorities while adopting measures recommended by it.

"However, ratification of the FCTC does not necessarily create legal obligations on any government", an official from the cigarette industry said.

The TII alleged that anti-tobacco NGOs funded by vested interests are putting pressure on the policy makers to pursue an agenda guided by false propaganda.

"These anti-tobacco NGOs are also approaching courts and seeking extreme and unreasonable regulations which threaten the livelihood of millions of Indians dependent on tobacco, under the garb of implementation of FCTC measures", a statement from TII said furthering that the NGO's undertaking anti-tobacco programmes "lack real world knowledge of tobacco growing and promote arbitrary measures that have very adverse social and economic consequences for the country".

As per the TII, the centre needs to consider the socio-economic benefits that accrue from tobacco and the livelihood dependency of 45.7 million people including farmers, tribals and other people in the value chain, while deliberating up on various regulatory measures at COP7.

Back in August this year, after it was declared that India will be playing the host country for the 2016 edition of the COP7, TII wrote to the government seeking representation but the plea went unheard.

Shortly before the COP7 commenced, industry bodies like FICCI and ASSOCHAM also requested the Union Health Ministry to allow tobacco farming associations and trade bodies to take part in the global conference on tobacco control.