Open Letter to Dr S Kannaiyan, Chairman National Biodiversity Authority

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Umendra Dutt

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Jan 31, 2008, 7:24:07 AM1/31/08
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OPEN LETTER TO CHAIRMAN NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY

 

 

WHY IS THE "CUSTODIAN" OF INDIA'S BIODIVERSITY SUPPORTING AN ANTI-CONSERVATION AGENDA?

 

 

 

To

Dr. S. Kannaiyan

Chairman

National Biodiversity Authority

Chennai

26th January 2008

 

 

Subject: Immediate withdrawal of highly biased and anti conservation public statements supporting Genetic Engineering (GE) and invoking Section 36.4 (ii) of the Biological Diversity Act

 

Sir,

 

It is with deep shock that we read of your comments made at the National Seminar on Biodiversity, Bioresources and Biotechnology for Sustainable Livelihood of the Rural Community held at Chennai last week. Several newspapers have quoted you saying that "…genetically modified crops were the only answer to increase the production and productivity and to solve malnutrition problem in the country", and that "I am surprised to note that many non-governmental organizations are shouting from rooftops against the introduction of GM crops. They are either ignorant about the ground realities or have some ulterior motive".

 

We are even more concerned that these comments have been made by you in your official capacity as the Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority which has a critical role in conservation of biological diversity and protection of people's resources and knowledge to feed and heal themselves in ecologically benign and culturally appropriate ways.

 

We would like to draw your attention to the very provision of the Biological Diversity Act itself which acknowledges the potential hazards of genetically modified organisms:

Section 36.4 (ii) of the Biological Diversity Act 2002, states that:

'The Central Government shall undertake measures to regulate, manage or control the risks associated with the use and release of living modified organisms resulting from biotechnology likely to have adverse impact on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and human health'.

 

As one of the key custodians of this law you ought to be advising the Central Government on prevention of GMOs as a precautionary measure rather than risk the rich and mega-diverse biodiversity of India and with it the culture and livelihoods of millions of people. Simply put GE (genetic engineering) is antithetical to diversity. It not only perpetrates monocultures, but also unleashes non-tested unnatural products that could cause genetic pollution also compromising the food sovereignty of our people with increasing dependencies on corporate-sponsored "science". If it is the promotion of GE that is on the agenda of the apex body whose role is for the conservation and sustainable use; then it does not leave communities and peoples movements with much faith in the institution. It is not clear by what authority, in what capacity and with what evidence are you concluding that GM crops are the only solution.

 

Your statements have also confirmed apprehensions that many in civil society have, regarding the setting up of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) without providing them with the authority and capacity to conserve their biodiversity and protect their knowledge. With this approach we feel that the network of BMCs could well be misused to market GM crops, using the vulnerability of farmers in an already declining farming sector, and over-riding existing diversity in seeds, knowledge and resources. And who knows, with this kind of push, could it also be that the information recorded in PBRs, put into computerized national databases over which communities will have no control, could become accessible to promoters of GM crops, rather than be used to protect and promote the welfare of communities? Given the current disposition of the leadership of the NBA, how can we have any confidence that the NBA will be able to perform its prime role of safeguarding agrobiodiversity and the interests of communities most dependent on such biodiversity?

 

With your lack of confidence in your own peoples ways we do not think you can expect a reciprocal treatment.

 

We therefore urge you to:

1. Immediately withdraw your highly biased statements that are unscientific and deeply disrespectful of our peoples' customs, traditions and practices

2. Render an apology to all the activists who are tirelessly struggling for an objective and independent assessment of genetic engineering in agriculture

3. Immediately invoke the spirit of clause Section 36.4 (ii) and immediately put a stay on grant of clearances for field trials and use of GE crops, as a precautionary conservation measure.

 

If the above is not acceptable, kindly resign from the post of NBA Chairperson as people have lost their faith in the office whose bias is clearly supporting and safeguarding ideologies which are inherently against conservation.

 

 

In anticipation,

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Name

Organization / Affiliation

State / Country

  1.  

A Gunasekaran

Anantham Ammaippu, Arachalur

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

A.C.Zonunmawia

Centre for Environment Protection (CEP)

Mizoram

  1.  

Adv. Narayanan Nambiar

INSAF, Kannur

Kerala

  1.  

Afsar Jafri

(Anti GM activist)

Mumbai

  1.  

Anil

Altermedia

Thrissur

  1.  

Anthony Swamy

CEDA TRUST,Dindugal

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Anuradha Chandran Maharishi

 

 

  1.  

Aruna Rodrigues

Sunray Harvesters

Madhya Pradesh

  1.  

Arundhati Dhuru & Sandeep Pandey

NAPM

Uttar Pradesh

  1.  

Ashok Kumar Shetty

Krishikara Vedike, DK and Udipi

Karnataka

  1.  

Babychen

Organic Bazaar, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

Bandana Mallik

Waterkeeper Alliance in New York

USA.

  1.  

Bharat Mansata

Earthcare Books, Mumbai

Maharashtra

  1.  

Brig Oommen John (Retd)

HRD Consultant, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

C Jayasri

AP Coalition in Defence of Diversity

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

C N Suresh Kumar

AP Alliance for Food Sovereignty

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

C R Neelakantan

Environmentalist

Kerala

  1.  

C. Udaya Shankar

Centre for World Solidarity, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Chandan Mukherjee

SEVA, Kolkatta

West Bengal

  1.  

Chandrasekharan Nair

Farmers Internet Forum

Kerala

  1.  

Chittattinkara Krishna Pillai Vaidyar

Chittattinkara Vaidhyashala, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

D V Sridharan

Point Return

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

Daniel Kumaran

Venture Trust, Puthukottai

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Datta Patil

YUVA Rural

Maharashtra

  1.  

Debjeet Sarangi & Pratap Panda

Living Farms

Orissa

  1.  

Devinder Sharma

Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security

New Delhi

  1.  

Dharmaraj

Jaiva Karshaka Samithi, Thrissur

Kerala

  1.  

Dr A Latha

River Research Centre, Thrussur

Kerala

  1.  

Dr A S K Nair

Scientist, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

Dr C Sathyamala

Epidemiologist

New Delhi

  1.  

Dr C. Shambu Prasad

Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar

Orissa

  1.  

Dr Jeevanandan

Tamil Nadu Green Movement

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

Dr Jeevarathnam

Coastal Action Network

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Dr K Swarnalatha

Nagercoil Women's Consumer Protection Centre

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Dr Kaladharan

Tamil Nadu Consumer Protection Council, Nagapatinam

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Dr R S Lalmohan

Nature Conservation Trust ,Nagercoil

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Dr Sharachchandra Lele

Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment & Development, Bangalore

Karnataka

  1.  

Dr Suman Sahai

Gene Campaign

Delhi

  1.  

Dr Thomas Varghese

Chairman,

Kerala

  1.  

Dr. A. Bijukumar,

University of Kerala, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

Dr. Arun Mani Dixit

 

Gujarat

  1.  

Dr. Debal Deb

Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies

West Bengal

  1.  

Dr. Duraisingam

FEDCOT

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

Dr. Ilina Sen

Rupantar

Chattisgarh

  1.  

Dr. N. Chandramohanakumar

Professor & Head, Dept of Chemical Oceanography CUSAT, Kochi 16

Kerala

  1.  

Dr. Narasimha Reddy

Centre for Handloom Information and Policy, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Dr. R. Sukanya

Community Health Cell, Bangalore

Karnataka

  1.  

Dr. S. G. Kabra

SDM Hospital, Jaipur

Rajasthan

  1.  

Dr. S. Santhi

Independent Scientist, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

Dr.G. Nammalvar

Tamil Nadu Organic Agriculturalists Movement

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

G Kannan

Consumer Care Centre, Virudhunagar.

Tamilnadu

  1.  

G Varadarajan

Waves Foundation, Tiruvarur

Tamilnadu

  1.  

G. John

Thread

Orissa

  1.  

G. Srinivas

Samata

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Gaurav Sahai

 

Punjab

  1.  

Geo Jose

NAPM, Kochi

Kerala

  1.  

Gopal Reddy

Voluntary Associations Network of Anantapur

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Hariharan

Secretary, Kissan Jyothi Farmers Club, (membership of 1050 farmers), Wyanad

Kerala

  1.  

Hemavathi C

President, Karavali Mahila Jagrathi Vedike

Karnataka

  1.  

Jacob Lazer

PUCL, Kochi

Kerala

  1.  

Jagannath Chatterjee

Manitham / Loksatta Bhubaneswar

Orissa

  1.  

Jaya Iyer

 

New Delhi

  1.  

Jayakumar, C

Zero Waste Centre, Kovalam, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

Jebra Ram Muchahary

Chief President, ICITP
Guwahati,

Assam

  1.  

John Jo Varghese

Subject Matter Specialist (Agronomy), Mitraniketan K.V.K, Vellanad, Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala

  1.  

K Gangadharan

President, Paddy Collective,  Wyanad

Kerala

  1.  

K Jogi Naidu

Sustainable Agriculture Group

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

K Nimmaiah

Deccan Development NGOs Network

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

K P Rama Rao

Neelgiri Civil Society Organisations Network

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

K Somnath Naik

Nagarika Seva Trust,

Karnataka

  1.  

Kanchi Kohli, Ashish Kothari

Kalpavriksh

Delhi

  1.  

Kavitha Kuruganti & Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu

Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Kisan Mehta, Priya Salvi

Save Bombay Committee and Prakruti

Maharashtra

  1.  

Kishan Rao Parcha

"Sukshetram", Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Krishna Prasad

Sahaja Samrudha, Bangalore

Karnataka

  1.  

Krishna Srinivasan

ECONET

Maharashtra

  1.  

Kuppusamy

Organic Farmers Federation of Kolathur

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

L Loganathan

Thiruvarur District Fisheries Labour Union

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Linn Cohen-Cole

Atlanta, Georgia

USA

  1.  

Madhu Sarin

Chandigarh

Punjab

  1.  

Madhumita Dutta

Corporate Accountability Desk-The Other Media

Delhi

  1.  

Mr James

Consumer Association of Tamilnadu, Paramakudi

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Ms Baghyalakshmi

All women consumer Association, Madurai

Tamilnadu

  1.  

N Badhushah

Wayanad Environment Protection Council, Sulthan Bathery

Kerala

  1.  

Nagarajan

Bharathi Women's Development Society, Thiruvarur

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Nageshwar Rao

CRDS, Khammam

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Nalini Naik

Gen Secy, SEWA, Kerala

Kerala

  1.  

Nandita Shah, Deepak Suchde

SHARAN, Mumbai

Maharashtra

  1.  

Neesha Noronha

Independent

Maharashtra

  1.  

Oswald Quintal

Kudumbam - LEISA Network

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

P.V. Satheesh

Deccan Development Society

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Pandiode Prabhakaran

National Farmers Protection Committee, Palakkad

Kerala

  1.  

Prakash P Gopinath

Sahayathri

Kerala

  1.  

Prof Sucha Singh Gill

Economist, Punjabi University

Patiala

  1.  

Prof Arun Kumar

CESP, SSS, JNU

New Delhi

  1.  

Prof Durai Singam

Chairman, FEDCOT (and 260 affliated Consumer groups in all districts of Tamilnadu and Pondicherry)

Tamilnadu and Pondicherry

  1.  

Prof S Peermohammed

Kanyakumari District Consumers' Federation, Nagercoil

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Prof. Arif A. Waqif,

Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Prof. M K Prasad

Chairman and MD, Information Kerala Mission, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

Prof. M S  Rathore

Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur

Rajasthan

  1.  

Purushan Eloor

Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi, Kochi

Kerala

  1.  

R Ponnambalam

CREATE Trust, Paramakudi

Tamilnadu

  1.  

R. Santhanam

 

New Delhi

  1.  

Radha HB

Consultant, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of

 

  1.  

Raghu Velankar

 

Maharashtra

  1.  

Raj

Human Rights Association of India, Nagercoil.

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Raj K. Sadosh

 

 

  1.  

Rajesh Krishnan

Greenpeace India

Karnataka

  1.  

Ramesan Kuruvayil

Farmer, Kannur

Kerala

  1.  

Robin C

Keraleeyam, Thrissur

Kerala

  1.  

S Guruvayurappan

Wildlife Preservation Society of India - South Zone

Kerala

  1.  

S Kiran

South Against Genetic Engineering

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

S Poongudi

Vithu Trust

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

S R Sreeram

Consumer -Human Rights Protection Centre

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Samson  Jaykar

Medak District Voluntary Associations Network

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Sanjay Maharishi

 

New Delhi

  1.  

Saraswati Kavula

Film Maker, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Saroop Roy

Equations, Trivandrum

Kerala

  1.  

Sasikumar

Malabar Natural History Society, Kozhikode

Kerala

  1.  

Satheesh Sathyavarthan

SAMVADA

Karnataka

  1.  

Sathyanarayana

Mangosan, Dakshina Kannada

Karnataka

  1.  

Selvam Ramaswamy

Organic Farmers' Federation of Erode district

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

Shalini Bhutani

GRAIN

Delhi

  1.  

Sheelu Francis

Tamil Nadu Women's Collectives

Tamil Nadu

  1.  

Shree Padre

Farm Journalist

Kerala/Karnataka

  1.  

Smt Sugathakumari

Poet / Environmentalist

Kerala

  1.  

Sri John Master

Vasundhara, Sulthan Bathery

Kerala

  1.  

Sridhar Radhakrishnan

Thanal

Kerala

  1.  

Subhash Mehta

ICAP, Bangalore

Karnataka

  1.  

Sudheerkumar P V

Kasaragod Paristhithi Samrakshana Samithi

Kerala

  1.  

Sumeet Varma

 

 

  1.  

T P Padhmanabhan

SEEK, Payannur

Kerala

  1.  

Tmt Jesurathnam

Law Trust, Nagapattinam

Tamilnadu

  1.  

Umendra Dutt

Dr Amar Singh Azad

Kheti Virasat Mission

Punjab

  1.  
  1.  

Umesh Nirmal

President - DK, Parisara Sakthara Okkutta

Karnataka

  1.  

Umesh Varma P.

Forum for Better Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Usha Seethalakshmi

(Freelance consultant, Hyderabad)

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Usha, S

Save Our Rice Campaign, Thanal

Kerala

  1.  

Vanaja Ramprasad

Green Foundation

Karnataka

  1.  

Varghese Thoduparambil

Kerala Karshaka Munnettam

Kerala

  1.  

Vasavi Kiro

(Freelance journalist and activist)

Jharkhand

  1.  

Venu Madhav

SECURE, Khammam

Andhra Pradesh

  1.  

Vijay Jardhari

Beej Bacchao Andolan

Uttarakhand

  1.  

Vijay Jawandhia

Shetkari Sangathana

Maharashtra

  1.  

Vimal Bhai

Matu Peoples' organisation

Uttarakhand

  1.  

Viren Desai

Photographer

 

  1.  

Y Srikar

Telangana Natural Resource Management Group

Andhra Pradesh

 

 

 

CC: Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, New Delhi

        Meena Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests

        K.Venkatraman, Member Secretary, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA),  

        Chennai

        Chairpersons of all State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)

 

 

 


--
Umendra Dutt
Executive Director
KHETI VIRASAT MISSION
Bishnandi Bazar
JAITU-151202
District-Faridkot,Punjab
Phones:01635-503415
09872682161
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