Close to 400 activists protest GM corn field trials at Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth in Kolhapur
This is the first time that Monsanto, the largest American seed
transnational, has applied directly for field trials of GM crops in
India and so far, Indians have seen it as a trait seller with
Indian farmers paying billions of rupees in the name of technology
fees for Bt Cotton. Protestors condemned the Indian government's
nexus with criminal corporations like Monsanto while putting aside
the interests of the aam aadmi (common citizen). They demanded that
political parties should pay heed to the growing democratic
resistance against unsafe food and corporate takeover of our
farming and asked all parties to state their stand on the issue
immediately.
Addressing the protestors, N D Patil, well known farmers' leader
said, "The government is shamelessly siding with big MNCs like
Monsanto and neglecting the interests of farmers and consumers.
Where is the need for a herbicide-tolerant GM corn in this country?
Why are tax payers' funds being spent in a public sector body like
the state agriculture university, to support the research of a
profit-hungry corporation like Monsanto? If the agriculture
university has any loyalty left for the Indian farmer, it should
immediately stop such field trials. It is clear that GM crops are
hazardous and unneeded and the Government of India should stop
pushing this technology on all of us. I also call upon all
political parties vying for the votes of common citizens to clearly
state their stand on GM in our food and farming - we will know
clearly which side are you on".
Joining him was Vijay Jawandhia of Shetkari Sanghatan. The
veteran farmers' leader, who had witnessed the distress produced by
Bt Cotton, India's only approved GM crop, said, "Monsanto is a
criminal corporation known to have sued or sent to jails scores of
farmers elsewhere for doing what farmers around the world have done
for millennia - saving their seeds! This is a corporation
documented to have bribed officials to get regulatory approvals.
This is a corporation which has earned crores of rupees in the name
of royalty in India while thousands of Bt Cotton farmers have
committed suicides. On Shaheed Diwas, we should remember Bhagat
Singh's words, which hold very true today - let us declare that the
state of war does exist and shall exist as long as the Indian
toiling masses and the natural resources are being exploited by a
handful of parasites. In this neo-colonial era where parasites like
Monsanto and its supporters in the government masquerade as our
well-wishers, this is the time to start the new war of
independence".
Earlier in the month, Col Vikram Bokey, Chairman, Maharashtra
organic Farmers Federation, wrote to the Vice Chancellor of the
Agriculture University here, citing evidence of the negative
impacts of GM crops in general, GM Corn in particular, Monsanto's
criminal record, negative social and health impacts of herbicides
like Round-Up etc. and demanded an immediate response from the
University on the concerns raised before proceeding further on the
trial. "We did not receive a response from the University", he
said.
"GM corn as well as herbicides are known to cause several
adverse health and environmental effects. Another fundamental
concern is about herbicides displacing the agricultural employment
potential for farm women. We are here to assert that we do not need
such technologies. As consumers, our right to safe food cannot be
violated and we cannot be made into lab rats in this experiment",
added Col. Vikram Bokey, Chairperson of MOFF.
The protest rally was addressed by Shri A.B Patil, the state
vice president of Kisan Sabha of CPI[M], Sathish Bansode,CYDA,Pune,
Kavitha Kuruganti, Kheti Virasat Mission, Sanjay Bhagat of YUVA,
Rajesh Krishnan of Greenpeace India etc. amongst others. Speakers
pointed out that the Supreme Court appointee into the apex
regulatory body, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, had asked
for a moratorium on all GMO releases in India after studying the
current regulatory regime and the serious lacunae therein.
For further information, contact
1. Vijay Jawandhia, Shetkari Sanghatan, at 94-217-27998
2. Mathew Mattam, CYDA, at 93-733-08126
3. Nitin Mate, YUVA, at 93-721-56005
4. Rajesh Krishnan, Greenpeace India, at 098-456-50032
5. Kavitha Kuruganti, Kheti Virasat Mission, at 093-930-01550
6. Vikram Bokey, MOFF at 9822060606