GM Free India Protests in Delhi
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Nagarjuna
Aug 15, 2008, 12:22:25 AM8/15/08
to Food Policy
6th May 2008 is an important day for all well wishers of farmers of
India, for the reason that this day Indian Capital New Delhi will see
a large anti -GM (Genetically Modified or Genetically Engineered crops/
foods) protest at Jantar Mantar .
This protest is organized by “Coalition for a GM-Free India” which
represents lakhs of farmers and scores of organizations working with
them from across the country, including farmers’ unions, environmental
organizations, organic farming groups, women’s organizations etc.
This Coalition also has one of the largest membership bases in terms
of practicing ecological farmers, within the informal network of the
Coalition.
Some political leaders and well-known celebrities are expected to join
the 1000-strong farmer and consumer activists concerned about GM crops
in general and Bt Brinjal in particular. These leaders and celebrities
are expected to join the dharna between 2 pm to 3.30 pm.
In this protest, farmers from fifteen states are expected to take part
from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Consumers from
Delhi are expected to join the farmers in this protest against the
Government of India and big agri-business corporations in their
undemocratic attempts to thrust down unsafe food down our throats.
Why fight against bt Brinjal ?
Because, In India, we are standing on the verge of the first GM food
crop, Bt Brinjal, being approved for the second (and probably last)
year large scale trials this Kharif 2008.
Mahyco, the Indian avataar of Monsanto, would be walking up to the
regulators for permission for the second [and last] year of large
scale trials this Kharif [starting June 2008] of Bt Brinjal, the first
food crop in India and the first such GM vegetable crop with Bt gene
anywhere in the world.
Elsewhere in the world, especially Europe, more countries are clamping
bans on GM crops. More regions are declaring themselves GM-Free. In
India, the central government is steamrollering ahead, with its
support to the biotech industry and showing its lack of vision for
Indian farming again and again.
Certain state governments are fortunately taking a long term, holistic
view on genetic engineering and are appreciating the environmental,
human health, political, economic and socio-cultural implications of
such a technology on Indian farming and society. However, the Union of
India is not upholding even this Constitutional right of state
governments and is blindly moving ahead with its approvals of various
crop trials and experiments.
Bt Brinjal biosafety is questionable - in fact, we should not forget
that the results of genetic engineering itself are very unpredictable
and the very process of GE results in different unintended hazardous
consequences. Recently several scientists also claimed that Bio
Technology is not answer for the problems of our agriculture.
With Bt Cotton, the experiences of farmers across the country, as
recorded by official sources too, range from newer and increased
number of pests and diseases to fatal impacts on livestock, effects on
human health and effects on soil with hardly any benefits as claimed
by the industry. The stress intolerance of crops like Bt Cotton has
also been recorded time and again. In this era of climate change, is
this the technology that we want to rest our food and nutrition
security on?
The regulators sitting in Delhi have also proven themselves to be
unaccountable, unscientific, wedded to conflicting interests and
apathetic to the real experiences of farmers on the ground. Hence, The
anti-GM battle in India has reached a crucial stage.
If we continue to keep silent, more of this undemocratic thrusting
down of unwanted, corporate technologies will continue to smother
Indian farming as well as all of us - after all, you and I will not
have any choices left if Bt Brinjal and other GM foods is allowed in.
No systems of labelling will let you know if you are consuming Bt
Brinjal or not, in this country.
It is in this context that Coalition for a GM-Free India” has invited
all right-thinking, pro-farmer, concerned citizens to assemble at
Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on MAY 6TH 2008, for a one-day dharna.
Coalition requests: If you want the government to take message
seriously, you should be there to show that you are against GM crops
too. Please bring as many people as you can to the dharna site. Try to
get signatures of people endorsing a NO GMOs message on a long banner
and all the banners would be displayed during the dharna.
Interested also could contact :
Kavitha Kuruganti - Coalition for GM Free India / Centre for
Sustainable Agriculture, 12-13-445, Street # 1, Tarnaka, Secunderabad
500 017
http://www.csa-india.org/ ;
http://www.indiagminfo.org/
Phone: +91-9393001550
India, for the reason that this day Indian Capital New Delhi will see
a large anti -GM (Genetically Modified or Genetically Engineered crops/
foods) protest at Jantar Mantar .
This protest is organized by “Coalition for a GM-Free India” which
represents lakhs of farmers and scores of organizations working with
them from across the country, including farmers’ unions, environmental
organizations, organic farming groups, women’s organizations etc.
This Coalition also has one of the largest membership bases in terms
of practicing ecological farmers, within the informal network of the
Coalition.
Some political leaders and well-known celebrities are expected to join
the 1000-strong farmer and consumer activists concerned about GM crops
in general and Bt Brinjal in particular. These leaders and celebrities
are expected to join the dharna between 2 pm to 3.30 pm.
In this protest, farmers from fifteen states are expected to take part
from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Consumers from
Delhi are expected to join the farmers in this protest against the
Government of India and big agri-business corporations in their
undemocratic attempts to thrust down unsafe food down our throats.
Why fight against bt Brinjal ?
Because, In India, we are standing on the verge of the first GM food
crop, Bt Brinjal, being approved for the second (and probably last)
year large scale trials this Kharif 2008.
Mahyco, the Indian avataar of Monsanto, would be walking up to the
regulators for permission for the second [and last] year of large
scale trials this Kharif [starting June 2008] of Bt Brinjal, the first
food crop in India and the first such GM vegetable crop with Bt gene
anywhere in the world.
Elsewhere in the world, especially Europe, more countries are clamping
bans on GM crops. More regions are declaring themselves GM-Free. In
India, the central government is steamrollering ahead, with its
support to the biotech industry and showing its lack of vision for
Indian farming again and again.
Certain state governments are fortunately taking a long term, holistic
view on genetic engineering and are appreciating the environmental,
human health, political, economic and socio-cultural implications of
such a technology on Indian farming and society. However, the Union of
India is not upholding even this Constitutional right of state
governments and is blindly moving ahead with its approvals of various
crop trials and experiments.
Bt Brinjal biosafety is questionable - in fact, we should not forget
that the results of genetic engineering itself are very unpredictable
and the very process of GE results in different unintended hazardous
consequences. Recently several scientists also claimed that Bio
Technology is not answer for the problems of our agriculture.
With Bt Cotton, the experiences of farmers across the country, as
recorded by official sources too, range from newer and increased
number of pests and diseases to fatal impacts on livestock, effects on
human health and effects on soil with hardly any benefits as claimed
by the industry. The stress intolerance of crops like Bt Cotton has
also been recorded time and again. In this era of climate change, is
this the technology that we want to rest our food and nutrition
security on?
The regulators sitting in Delhi have also proven themselves to be
unaccountable, unscientific, wedded to conflicting interests and
apathetic to the real experiences of farmers on the ground. Hence, The
anti-GM battle in India has reached a crucial stage.
If we continue to keep silent, more of this undemocratic thrusting
down of unwanted, corporate technologies will continue to smother
Indian farming as well as all of us - after all, you and I will not
have any choices left if Bt Brinjal and other GM foods is allowed in.
No systems of labelling will let you know if you are consuming Bt
Brinjal or not, in this country.
It is in this context that Coalition for a GM-Free India” has invited
all right-thinking, pro-farmer, concerned citizens to assemble at
Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on MAY 6TH 2008, for a one-day dharna.
Coalition requests: If you want the government to take message
seriously, you should be there to show that you are against GM crops
too. Please bring as many people as you can to the dharna site. Try to
get signatures of people endorsing a NO GMOs message on a long banner
and all the banners would be displayed during the dharna.
Interested also could contact :
Kavitha Kuruganti - Coalition for GM Free India / Centre for
Sustainable Agriculture, 12-13-445, Street # 1, Tarnaka, Secunderabad
500 017
http://www.csa-india.org/ ;
http://www.indiagminfo.org/
Phone: +91-9393001550
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