CENTRE SHOULD STOP SECRETIVE GM MUSTARD APPROVAL PROCESSES:
“REGULATORS’ MEETING SHOULD BE CALLED OFF BY THE GOVERNMENT -
IT IS OUTRAGEOUS AND HIGHLY OBJECITONABLE THAT GOVT OF INDIA REGULATORS
ARE MOVING AHEAD WITHOUT CONSULTATIONS”
Chennai, February 3rd,
2016: Slamming the Central Government for allowing regulators in the
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for scheduling a secret
meeting on February 5th 2016 for considering the approval of GM
mustard, farmers organisations across the state lashed out at the
double-tongued ways of the Centre. ‘The Modi government pays tokenism to
upholding the federal polity in the country – however, disregarding that state
governments and the public do not want GM crops in our food, farming and
environment, they are moving ahead with the processing of GM mustard
application, that too in a highly secretive and hurried fashion. This is
completely unacceptable’, they said. Disregarding the fact that all
mustard-growing states including the BJP rules ones like Rajasthan, MP have
already rejected the transgenic mustard, as well as a notice on a contempt
petition from the Supreme Court, MoEFCC regulators in Genetic Engineering
Appraisal Committee (GEAC) are slated to meet on Friday, 5th
February, to take a final call on Delhi University’s GM mustard.
“This regulatory body GEAC is
known to have people associated with MNCs like Monsanto, in addition to a
scientist from the very institute which has applied for GM mustard
commercialization! Such objectionable conflict of interest is allowed despite
Supreme Court orders asking for independent experts to be included, because it
suits the vested interests in the government. It is also important to note that
Government of India is stubbornly, for reasons best known to itself, proceeding
without putting out all biosafety data in the public domain. Once again, this
is in violation of Supreme Court and Central Information Commission orders.
Doors of both these institutions have been knocked to ensure implementation of
the earlier orders, but GEAC is brazenly going ahead. It only makes us wonder
wherefrom is the government under such immense pressure to process this GMO?”,
said Ananthoo of Safe Food Alliance.
Recalling the similarity between
Bt brinjal and the GMO in question in the current instance, a GM mustard hybrid
(DMH11) created by Delhi University, Selvam of Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers
Federation said, “In the case of both brinjal and mustard, our native
diversity is at stake since India is a Centre of Diversity for both. Both are
food crops and mustard leaves are also eaten more or less directly without much
processing. In both these GMOs, viable and feasible alternatives exist, which
are sustainable and farmer-controlled. Both are used in Ayurveda and also have
a great socio-cultural significance for people in our state. How can we allow
mustard to be genetically modified and take a huge irreversible risk, when
there is absolutely no need for the same? This GM mustard has a male sterility
trait, which is bound to spread to other non-GM mustard plants also, and this
has immediate implications for farmers’ production. Further, it also has a
herbicide tolerant trait, which will increase chemical overload in our
agriculture, which will come back to affect the health of all life forms. Such
herbicide tolerance will also take away employment opportunities for the
poorest in rural India. These are dangerous technologies to deploy, and this
has been done so that seed manufacturers can do seed production more easily.
This has nothing for farmers since non-GM mustard hybrids are already available
in the market. We reject this GMO completely”.
Activists and leaders including Dr.
Shivaraman of Poovulagin Nanbargal, Vellaiyan of Tamil Nadu Traders
Association, Vettavalam Manikandan of Thamizaga Vivasayigal Sangam, Pamayan of
Thalanmai Uzhavar Iyakkam and Radhika
Rammohan, Consumer activist warned the Centre that the government will have
to face the same fate as they did when they pushed ahead with the Land
Ordinance despite huge opposition. “The government is underestimating the
resistance against GM crops in the country, amongst various stakeholders
including ordinary public, the ultimate consumers of this toxic technology.
Prakash Javadekar, the Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change is
also ignoring the appeal by tens of thousands of citizens to him by allowing
GEAC to hold its meeting and routinely process this GMO application. We warn
them not to move ahead with this GEAC meeting on February 5th, in
their own interest”, they said. They also appreciated the correct stand being
taken by the state government in this matter, and urged it to continue
protecting the best interests of citizens and the environment.
All mustard growing states in the
country have already come out with statements rejecting GM mustard for their
state.
For more information on GM
mustard DMH11, please refer to: http://indiagminfo.org/?p=880
Contact: Ananthoo: 9444166779; Pamayan: 9842048317; Selvam:
9443663562; Dr. Shivaraman : 9444027455
Signed :
1. Ananthoo,
Safe Food Alliance2. Selvam, Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers Federation
3. Pamayan,
Thalanmai Uzhavar Iyakkam
4. Dr
Shivaraman, Poovulagin Nanbargal
5. Ram,
Samanvaya
6. Sree Devi, Organic Farmer and
consumer activist
7. Gomathinayagam, President-Vivasaya Seva Sangam
7. Gomathinayagam, President-Vivasaya Seva Sangam
8. Radhika
Rammohan, Consumer activist
Note: Also attached letter to
Minister of Environment and Forests, Mr.Prakash Javadekar from CPI MP Mr. D.
Raja
