Karnataka tobacco farmers and micro retailers staged a protest march in Bengaluru on Thursday demanding rollback of a rule mandating 85 per cent pictorial warnings on tobacco products, calling it a “harsh policy” that does not balance the interests of stakeholders. Members of All India Farmer Associations, representing tobacco growers and Karnataka State Beedi Cigarette Traders Association holding placards came out against the mandatory rule of 85 pictorial warnings on tobacco products.
According to BN Murali Krishna , President of the Karnataka State Beedi Cigarette Trade Association the policy was being implemented in an undemocratic manner, abruptly without balancing the interests of millions of farmers, factory workers, rural workers and micro retailers. He said “we are unable to understand as to why the Government wants us, the small retailers to be surrounded by horrifying pictures all the time. “We do not want to be forced to deliver these messages as they are against the interests of millions of fellow members and struggling communities.” He said if the USA which was considered the epitome of health and democratic rights had found graphic health warnings undemocratic, “then what argument does India have to push large, shocking warnings of 85 per cent on tobacco packs”.
According to Vikram Raj Urs , FAIFA Joint Secretary farmers were facing severe challenges with water crisis, slower demand, expensive credit and ongoing disturbances in the tobacco industry which will cause a big financial loss to them.
According to the Karnataka State Beedi Cigarette Traders Association, 45.7 million people were dependent on tobacco industry in the country and no organisation or individual representing their interest was consulted when the rules were framed in 2014. Also, it said that cigarettes are the most smuggled item in the country after gold but they do not have graphic warnings. The implementation of larger graphic health warnings was neither practical, nor was it in the interest of either the consumer, the retailer, the farmer or the government, the association contended, appealing to the union government to roll back the new policy.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court directed the tobacco companies to implement the rule mandating larger pictorial health warnings on packets of tobacco products and refused the manufacturers’ plea to stay the implementation of new cigarette packaging rules introduced from April 1. The apex court said that the tobacco companies have to follow the rules till the Karnataka High Court, where all the petitions from various high courts are being transferred, pronounced its final order. While directing the transfer of the related petitions from High Courts of Delhi, Bombay and Gujarat to the Karnataka High Court, the top court said the operation of order of the principal bench of the Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru refusing stay on the new rules would continue. Eom/blr