Grooms appeal to the CM of TN to ban the Genetically Modified food crops in the state
Dr. Kamala Selvaraj, the eminent Fertility expert from GG
hospital, Chennai, emphasised on the recent Austrian Government
Study that proved that GM corn caused infertility. "The study
clearly shows that the mice fed with GM corn in just over 20 months
were found to have a smaller litter in the long term, and the pups
were smaller and weaker. It is the same corn that is being field
tested in TN Agricultural University now. It might take a few years
or even a generation to see the impact of GM, and by then it will
be too late because the effects are irreversible." she warned.
Dr. Jayam Kannan, fertility expert opined that infertility among
young men and women is rising to alarming proportions.
"Reproductive toxicity is the most important reason for this. We
are worried with the studies that are surfacing on the GM issue
that seem to cause immune disorders, liver and kidney toxicity,
growth disorders and increasing antibiotic resistance and now
infertility itself. The impact of these would be higher on children
and invalid . If it could happen to mice, what hope do we all have
to a GM explosion of our diet?"
"Genetic Engineering as a technology cannot be taken as safe
without adequate safety tests" said Dr. Sujatha Byravan, Molecular
biologist and former President of The Council for Responsible
Genetics. She said that the interests of Agribiotech companies
severely hamper scientifically rigorous and transparent studies on
GM crops. "There are very few studies conducted on the impacts of
GM that are not controlled by the agribusiness and the few
scientists who reported adverse effects of GM have been silenced
and their work discredited. India is right now following the same
pattern of mistakes committed by the USA in the regulation of GM
food"
"None of the crops that are being researched in Tamil Nadu,
including the ones by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Coimbatore have been tested independently" she added talking about
the negligent safety nets in the country.
Film actress and activist Rohini, a strong supporter of the
anti- GM cause, expressed her concerns over the impacts of GM. "How
will this get translated into the lives of common people who will
not even know what they are eating? Once the irreversible effects
of GM hit us, we will have no option but to eat GM food because
that is what will be available in the market" she said talking
about the farmers' and Consumers choice being restricted with the
advent of GM food crops in the markets.
Tamil Film Director Cheran and Director Myskin were also present
to extend their solidarity to the campaign against GM food crops.
They expressed that the state had seen various farmers' agitations
against GM crops ever since Bt cotton was introduced. "I have come
to know that the implications of GM is detrimental to our agrarian
system, and GM needs to be banned from the country" Vasant
stressed.
Talking about the policy level negligence on this issue, Jai
Krishna felt there was still some hope. Some of the policy makers
have been aware of this danger. "The Union Health Minister Dr.
Anbumani Ramadoss, earlier this month said that he would oppose any
move to introduce genetically modified food or seeds in the country
without holistic studies on its impact on agriculture and health.
However, with TNAU taking a lead in introducing GM crops without
safety testing and in allying with companies which have no regard
to public health, it has become very imperative that the state
Government takes an active role in understanding the seriousness
and stopping GM crops immediately" he said..
The press conference was organised by Greenpeace as a part of
the Safe Food Alliance, a network of organisations and individuals
who want to stop GM food from being approved as safe, from
consumers and farmers losing a choice, from the nation losing its
food security forever and for protecting the health and safety of
citizens.
The Alliance requested the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to act
immediately to prevent the threat of GM food in Tamil Nadu, to take
immediate cognizance of all the GM field trials happening in Tamil
Nadu and stop them till further scientific evidence proves they are
safe.
For further information, contact
Jai Krishna – Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India, +91 98455 91992; jaikrishna.r@in.greenpeace.org
Preethi Herman- Communications Officer, Greenpeace India, +91 99014 88482,
preethi.herman@in.greenpeace.org