Tobacco growers fight for livelihoods

The Delhi High Court has asked the Indian government to respond to a petition opposing a proposed move to phase out tobacco production, according to a Press Trust of India story relayed by the TMA.

The government is said to be considering phasing out tobacco cultivation by 2020 in line with Articles 17 and 18 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The move has been opposed in a petition by the Federation of All India Farmers’ Association.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Delhi High Court declined to pass an interim order rejecting the proposal but issued notices to the union government and the Tobacco Board of India asking them to respond to the petition by January 30.

It was not clear from the story whether the government’s proposal to phase out tobacco growing referred only to that part of the crop regulated by the board, flue-cured, or to all types.

The court asked also that the government consider the request of the association to participate in the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the FCTC, which is due to be held in New Delhi on November 7-12.

This last-mentioned request seems unlikely to be granted because of the lateness of the hour and because of the antipathy of the CoP to anybody with the slightest connection with tobacco.