Tobacco Farmers Seek Invitation to Convention

Source from:  The Hindu 09/30/2016

Office-bearers of the Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that tobacco farmers were included in the official Indian delegation to the upcoming World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference of Parties Seventh session to be held here between November 7 and 12.

The appeal, said FAIFA president B.V. Javare Gowda, was a demonstration of the disappointment and resentment towards existing regulations and wanted that the government of India reject extreme FCTC proposals that were not evidence-based. Farmers, they said, pleaded with policy-makers to promote balanced regulations to protect interests and livelihood of millions of small farmers, farm labour and their families.

"A democratic, participative approach in forming the Indian delegation to COP 7 will ensure that farmers and industry viewpoint is taken cognisance of and no unilateral, discriminatory and one-sided decision is taken by the Parties of the Conference that would be hostile to the livelihoods of millions dependent on tobacco in India," Mr. Gowda said.

FAIFA General Secretary Murali Babu said the participation of farmers in COP 7 deliberations would be in line with the principles of transparency and equity as propagated by the United Nations itself. "However, these principles have been completely disregarded by the World Health Organisation in past conferences. It is unfortunate that they want to keep the upcoming conference closed door as well," he regretted.

Such undemocratic meetings were not good for India's reputation that valued transparency and democracy, they said. Enditem