Kolkata, January 27th 2010: Representatives of Scientists, activists, farmers and agricultural labour unions today expressed the need for a national ban on Bt Brinjal, the first GM food crop in India to have reached a commercialization stage and deliberated on its impact on the environment, agriculture and livelihoods of farmers in West Bengal.
Bt Brinjal, a genetically modified Brinjal variety developed by Mahyco- (partner of agri biotech giant Monsanto) has been recommended for commercial approval by the apex approval authority, the Genetic Engineering approval committee (GEAC) in October last year. But public resistance forced the Union minister for environment and forests (i/c), Minister Jairam Ramesh intervene and hold public consultations to assess the scientists, experts and the public opinion on Bt Brinjal before taking a final decision on the commercialisation.
The first three consultations in Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar and Ahmedabad saw scientists, farmers, consumers and environmental groups totally rejecting Bt brinjal on account of concerns on health, environment, threat to farmer’s seed rights etc. Official letters from the State Government has been sent from West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar stating that Bt Brinjal would not be permitted in the respective states. Also state governments of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Chattisgarh have also declared that they are not in favour of release Bt Brinjal.
Explaining about the issues with contamination because of cross pollination, Mr. Safiq-ul Alam, an agricultural expert and extension personnel said “Even if Bt Brinjal is not planted in the State, natural cross pollination and transport of seeds, Bt Brinjal from the rest of the country still can cause irreversible contamination pose a threat to the rich agri biodiversity of Brinjal in West Bengal. World over, no GM crop is approved in their centres of origin and diversity. India being the centre of origin and great centre of diversity, should not approve Bt Brinjal”
Swapan Ganguly from the Paschim Bango Khet Mazdoor Samiti, said “With the rich and diverse nature of India’s agriculture, we do not need an unknown technology whose impact is likely to be adverse on agricultural workers health and safety. Moreover, such technologies which only serve the business interests of a few corporates is certain to destroy Indian agriculture”.
“Ecological farming with non toxic chemicals nor GMOs is becoming popular among many farmers in the state. Introduction of any GM crop by either by force or accident is being unjust to these farmers and charting the wrong path in the agricultural policy. Moreover, no assessments have been done on the productivity and the natural pest resistance of the indigenous Brinjal varieties that farmers are cultivating organically from their own seeds for last 200 years” said Anshuman Das from DRCSC, an organisation working on organic farming for the last 28 years.
The starting of the public consultations also saw interesting political developments with the Minister for agriculture Sharad Pawar publically stating his support for Bt Brinjal and stating that the central government should not interfere in the decision made by GEAC.
In a riposte, the environment minister had sent an official letter to Sharad Pawar clearly stating that the issue of Bt brinjal is a matter of great importance as it is the first Genetically modified food crop and as there are concerns raised on this issue. Quoting the case of Bt cotton, the only GM crop commercialized in India, Jairam Ramesh also empahsised that it is the prerogative of his ministry to take the final call on this matter.
“It is shocking to see that when a majority of the Brinjal producing states have rejected Bt Brinjal, experts and public are raising concerns on Bt Brinjal in the public consultations, Union ministers are taking the side of seed Industry and promoting Bt Brinjal.” said Jai Krishna, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner,Greenpeace. “Considering the threat Bt Brinjal poses to West Bengal and Indian agriculture, it is time for all political parties in the State to take positions against GM food crops and ensure that the Central Government does not approve Bt Brinjal.” he demanded.
The Public consultations would reach a midpoint today with the Nagpur consultation. This would be followed by consultations in Chandigarh on the 29th of January, Hyderabad on the 31st January and Bangalore on the 6th of February.
Vision, video, photos, report information:
Soma Sanyal Ghosh, 90516 80810
Jai Krishna. R, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace, 0-98455 91992
For information/ videos on consultations in Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad and Nagpur and , visit: www.safefoodnow.org
For further clarifications:
Anshuman Das, Development research communication and services centre. (DRCSC), 9433079847
Swapan Ganguly, Paschim Bango Khet Mazdoor Samiti.9433264109
Google and Youtube- “Agenda21″ and” Eugenics” says:
March 5, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Mr Unbiased,
How naive you are as an informed citizen when you put this statement “While GM foods have their problems, they have more benefits than problems.” Have you ever faced the hidden truth which is not released to the general public because of the interest of globalist agenda. No you can’t and masses also can’t because we are all controlled by the false media and real reports are always suppressed. We are living in “SCIENTIFIC TYRANNY” where the governments (puppets of the Globalist Banking-Military Industry Cartel) take the route of problem-solution alchemy, they create problem and then force solution which is beneficial for the globalist agenda. Now when you say GM food have their problems you have no ideas how BIG that problem is. Do you know how and why GM foods came into existence? GM came into existence because of the WARS and Globalists Profits Agenda and the agenda of Eugenics and mass extermination of human population.
After second world war the it was headache to dump millions of dollars worth of excessive chemical weapon “Nerve Gas”. So the Globalist-Military industry decided to spray it on us in the diluted form and experimented on cockroaches and other insects and reduced the effect to that level that it could kill the bugs instantly but not the humans and that gave rise to the Pesticides.
So a new industry started and the propagating that without pesticides there can no longer be excessive food growth and whole population would die starving and the biggest manufacturing company of pesticides then in USA was MONSANTO. It was a big wave in the name of Green Revolution and excessive pesticides use which did more harm to the ecology and human cancers and deaths. Excessive use also made the bugs resistant to the variety of harmful pesticides and accelerated the problem. There were big protests and then the same SCIENTISTS who then said it is ALL GOOD FOR YOU, were responsible for the gruesome act and the government had just apologies. After these incidents people started looking for natural ways which are tried and tested since human history for more than 5000 years and beyond. And found the Bacillus thuringiensis (bah-SILL-is thur-in-jee-EN-sis),commonly known as Bt, is a bacterium. Bt acts as an insecticide by producing proteins that react in the gut of some insects, paralyzing their digestive systems. The insects stop eating and quickly starve. And “volla” a natural bacterium but with some limitations because the bacteria must be eaten by the insect to be effective, good spray coverage is essential. You should avoid breathing the powder or spray when applying Bt to your plants. Bt degrades fairly quickly in sunlight, so it will not persist in your garden. Some strains persist for less than 24 hours while others remain viable for about a week.
So MONSANTO started experimentation with genes and found the strains of DNA genes that the bacteria uses to produce its toxin , then you know what happened, MR Unbiased, these SCIENTISTS of MONSANTO who are the representatives and sold their souls to the Military-Globalist-Banking cartel industry took out these toxin producing genes from that bacteria and infused these into the genome DNA of the plant so that EACH AND EVERY CELL OF THE PLANT CAN PRODUCE THIS TOXIN AUTOMATICALLY and when the bug eats ANY PART OF THE PLANT may be it a root, leaf, fruit and any cell of that plant THE BUG WILL BE KILLED. These scientists who have sold their souls know this very well and they will not ever let their families live on and eat any BT crops at all. WHY? because the bacteria toxin producing gene is present in each and every cell of your plant food and this gene is remains in the digestive track and harmful to the good gut bacteria which is necessary for human digestive system and thus leads to digestive track cancer. This is just one of the 1000 several reasons given to avoid GM in our natural food chain. It has been found that the the live stock animals those have been feed on GM crops (because these same GM crops were rejected by human population for consumption in the several European countries , American continent after BIG protests), these live stock animals showed signs of food allergies , digestive track cancer and other cancers, and most importantly signs of impotency. Cows never became pregnant when feed on BT corn crops and the whole of the dairy farming community suffered. Now imagine putting GM food on your dinning table and giving it to you own children, wife, husband, parents , brother-sisters and your friends. This is a pure case of MASS EXTERMINATION of HUMAN POPULATION by the EUGENICISTS and followers of the Military-Globalists agenda.
Again all the puppetry governments and the so called NEW WORLD GOVERNMENT is here for SCIENTIFIC TYRANNY over us and want to suppress all the real news and show BIG PROBLEMS to you “GLOBAL STARVATION” and in actual fact they create it for you. Do you know MR Unbiased, that it was the agenda of the Anglo-British empire to keep all the third world nations (Africa-Asia) starving by propagating them to produce Bio-Fuels and other cash crops on their fertile lands instead of food crops for years and still it is ongoing , and even old history of British Raj tell this that British to sabotage the fertile Indian lands propagated the cultivation of INDIGO (Neel) . So MR Unbiased always remember this that puppets governments controlled by the Globalist-Military-Banking cartel are Problem-Reaction-Solution governments, which themselves create Problems and look for the public reaction and release the solution to match their sinister agendas.
Right now the Globalist-Military Corporations have the technology to organic grow organic plants with accelerated growth without much resources needed through the use of magnetic field but they will never release that to the general public because their first agenda is to mass exterminate 90% of the human population under the disguised name of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT-Agenda21 of United Nations. And GM food is one of the step towards the soft killing of masses and to take away the natural survival ability of the human population and God gifted way to have free seeds from the fruits. In this direction, under the pressure of Military-Globalist-Banking cartel industry, the bills are already being in process to pass in USA and Canada that NO ONE would be allowed to grow any food in their kitchen gardens at all it will be considered as illegal as growing narcotics.
Mr Unbiased you also quoted “And to others who think scientists decide for the public, well who else will? You want your local postal worker to decide what nutrition you will get?” and I have to say again you are so naïve; the organic farmer , our own Ayuerveda , your own grandma, our Vedas can tell you more truth about food nutrition and these scientists who have sold their souls.
You also quoted “Do not follow propaganda blindly ” and I have to say YES all the mainstream media around you is run by the Globalist-Military-Banking industry cartel’s money to make people blind and follow the propaganda and never get the truth.
You are also right MR Unbiased when you quote “And to the other person who thinks this bill has something to do with democratic values, when has India ever produced truly democratic bills? Democracy is only an idea that we hope for and have never been exposed to.” You are so right is saying this because NO GOVERNMENT in the world in this post 2000 era can make a bill which is against the will of their Masters.
Welcome to the NEW WORLD ORDER of scientific tyranny, where “War is Peace – Freedom is slavery and Ignorance is Strength.
Please WAKE UP SHEEPLES , enough is enough. Get out of this Matrix and see how deep the rabbit holes goes for yourself.
If you want more truth, feel free to email at sams_chat@yahoo.com