Press release - July 24, 2009
HYDERABAD, India — A group of young citizens today called on Bayer Bio-Science with placards saying ‘Arrest Me Too, I Say No To GM Rice’ at the company’s office in Tolichowki, Hyderabad. The activists also presented to Bayer officials hundreds of photo petitions from citizens across the country willing to get arrested to prevent their rice from being genetically modified. This was in a response to the criminal case filed by Bayer against volunteers and media for highlighting the concerns with their Genetically Modified (GM) rice experiments happening in Andhra Pradesh.
Greenpeace volunteers protest against Bayer Bio Science with Placards saying 'Arrest Me Too' in front of Company's office in Tolichowki, Hyderabad on July 24, Hyderabad for filing lawsuit against GM rice protesters.
Addressing volunteers today, Greenpeace Sustainable Agriculture
campaigner Rajesh Krishnan said '"The hundreds of citizens across
the country who are even willing to get arrested to save our rice
shows the huge concern the Indian public has on genetic
modification of our rice. The concern arises from the unanswered
questions on health, environmental and socio economic impacts that
genetic engineering of the staple food of 2/3rd of the country
poses."
Last month, on June 22nd, Greenpeace volunteers took a direct
action on the hazardous GM rice field trials in Chinna Kanjarla
village near Patancheru, 45 km from the city. Following the action,
Bayer had filed a police case against 35 individuals, including the
general public and media who were present in the vicinity. The
charges against the activists are trespassing, causing damage and
even criminal intimidation.
The Sarpanch of the Chinnakanjarla village had earlier informed
the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, the authority approve
GM crops in India, pointing out that prior permission of the local
village Panchayat had not been taken before the GM rice trial was
done in their village. No information was provided to the villagers
on the nature of the field trial or it's possible danger of
contamination to crops growing in nearby fields.
"This is a clear case of corporate crime where our food systems
are being contaminated with potentially dangerous products just
because the companies have a monetary benefit in doing" so said
Praveen Paul' who was part of the protest today and had volunteered
to get arrested in an effort to stop genetic modification of rice.
While protests against such open trials of genetically modified
food crops are raging across the country the government of India
seems to be in a confused state with the agriculture ministry
saying that India is going ahead with GM food crops while the
Minister for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh openly
declaring that the country does not need GM Food, Rajesh
concluded.
Contact information
Rajesh Krishnan, Greenpeace India Sustainable Agriculture campaigner; 
Mobile. +91-9845650032
Stella Paul, Greenpeace India Communications officer;
Mobile. +919845068125