Photo Credit : Down to earth
Oct,18,2022, is and will remain a black day for the farmers, consumers, and of course, the environmentalists of the whole of India. It is because on that day, the Union Govt. accorded the most controversial permission for the testing of G M Mustard in the farmlands of India.
We, in India, have a Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (TA-GEAC) in Delhi to bring out rules and regulations for the introduction of GM seeds’ cultivation, Production of GM foods, and alike. Prof. Deepak Pental, the Professor at Delhi University, and his colleagues have been demanding from the year 2006-07 for the preparation (or Production) of “GM Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11” mustard seeds in the laboratory and for the approval of its commercial cultivation. According to Prof.Pental, they have proved that G M Mustard gives 28 to 30 % more yield than our native or hybrid seeds. They have been putting pressure on G.E.A.C. to give approval to the commercial cultivation of Dhara GM Mustard. The Narendra Modi Government is repeatedly talking about the cultivation of GM Mustard to increase edible oil production in India since 2014 when it came to power. The reason attached is that “the native mustard production remains less than the expected yield of the country. Our country imports 13 to 15 million tonnes of edible oil every year from abroad, which costs nearly rupees 1,17,000 crore .”(K.C.Bansal, Secretary, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences(NAAS)).
When one goes for GM Mustard cultivation, it has to be grown with the sprinkling of Monsanto’s Glyphosate (Round of Ready) herbicides, which is 100 times more poisonous than Mahara or Sankhua(native) venom. This has to be applied widely. Monsanto generates nearly 10 lakh crore rupees from this herbicides Round of Ready business. Anticipating a good business, the Vegetable Oil companies have been indirectly putting pressure on the Government for approval of GM Mustard. To increase their business Monsanto and other multinational agro companies nurture brokerage by investing heavy amounts of money behind prospective brokers. They influence the key Government officials in administrative strings of various countries by paying generous sums to make laws in favor of the companies. The multinational companies also use the services of Members of the US Congress and the Senate to make changes in government policies in favor of them. This is the secret behind the approval of GM Mustard. The entire process runs in darkness. Whatever amount the Companies spend behind the brokers remains in the dark. It never comes under any audit. There is no space for audit.
On September 2016, GEAC announced that ‘GM Mustard is safe for Humans, animals and birds and Environment’. But on 7 October 2016, after witnessing severe opposition from almost all walks of life, and violent protests, the Court clamped a ban on GM Mustard cultivation. Prof Pental was after it. GEAC again accorded permission for Dhara GM HT Mustard and wrote a letter to the Union Environment Minister for Notification. People again objected and opposed the step of GEAC, which ultimately became compelled to put a stay on it. But Prof Pental was not a man to stop. He made it possible again, and on 18 October 2022, and it obtained approval again straight from
the Union Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. After this, Pental and his allies were excited. They were assured that the patent of Dhara GM Mustard will certainly drop in the hands of Prof Pental, and they will go on yielding royalty out of it. Their purse will be swelling without any perspiration.
It is always marked that it is the opposition that perspires, and the opponents run in front of the horse spending money from their pockets. The Farmers, Social Workers, Activists, and Environmentalists took to the streets against the approval. They demonstrated, protested, and chanted slogans like “Stop adding poison to food”, “Boycott GM seeds,” “Withdraw permission to GM seeds,” “Prof Pentalhaihai,” and many others. They also chanted a slogan that “consumers are not the guinea pig of any lab.” From the anti-GM group, intellectual activists like Kavita Kurgantie and Arun Rodig reached Supreme Court and filed petitions against the decision of the Central Government. On November 3, 2022, the Apex Court called for a reply from the Central Government. Court has also directed the Central Govt to postpone the decision of going for GM Cultivation till the end of the hearing and the Court’s ultimate decision. In this case, Attorney General of India Mr.RVenkataramani has submitted a reply of only 3251 (!) pages and has argued that Dhara HT Mustard 11 has no harmful properties or effect. The production capacity of this mustard is 28 To 35 per cent more than the indigenous varieties. The commercial cultivation of this variety will make India self-sufficient in Edible Oil front.
Since past 8 years most of the media in our country have been publishing news in favour of the Government or administration side-lining the interest of the people. Electronic media has transformed itself to be the biggest propagandist of the Government or let’s say the people in power. Let’s see how the media handled the issue of HT GM Mustard-11 seeds in India. The Indian Express, in its Delhi edition on 1 November 2022 published that -GM Mustard-A win for science And the farmers”. It said that the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Agricultural Reaserch Council should go for an experimental farming of now avialable DMH 11 Hybrid GM in Rabi season and should prepare a new variety of GM Mustard in the country. The Chairperson of the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural sciences (TSS), RS Paroda wrote an article in Indian Express on 11.11.2022. He wrote that “GEAC, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has taken a bold step by allowing the area test of GM Mustard Hybrid DMH—11.” This is a landmark decision as it will protect the interest of farmers and meet 55-60 percent shortfall of edible oil requirement of the country.” India imports 13 million tonnes of edible oil from abroad by spending foreign currency exchange of one lakh seventeen thousand rupees. Paroda also wrote that “Science does not agree to protest against GM seeds. This type of protest was witnessed during the Green Revolution. This type of protest was also witnessed during the introduction of BT Cotton. The world support scientific experiments every where. By the cultivation of GM Mustard it will serve larger National interest. The Self-Reliant India will be possible by this. At present GM food crops are being cultivated in countries like USA, Brazil, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Philippines,
Pakistan, China and Bangladesh. In India GM Food crops are being cultivated in 200 million hectres. This is not even one percentage of the total agricultural-land in India”. On November 8, 2022, the Economic Times published that “India gives environmental approval for Gene Modified Mustard. India is world’s largest importer of edible oil in which it spends tens of billions of dollar every year. India fulfils more than seventy percent of its edible oil demandsfrom Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia,Malaysia, Russia and Ukraine. India’s farming average shrinks because of rapid urbanisation and erratic weather.” For this the Production of rice and wheat crop is decreasing. Conservative politicians and Non-Govt-organisations are objecting and protesting against GM Mustard seeds varieties produced in laboratories. They believe that GM Crops’ cultivation will lead to destruction of food security, bio-diversity and the health problem will arise due to this. Is this news is not enough to prove that it was in favour of anti-people decisions of the central Government?
In its November 13.2022 edition, the Business Standard published that “Govt bats for GM Mustard in Supreme Court : to make India self sufficient in edible oil.” The Government says that India’s edible oil demand is outpacing Production. We import 55 to 60 per cent edible oil from abroad. Central Government has said in the Supreme Court that by GM Mustard farming India can meet its Edible Oil demand and can achieve the goal of self reliant India.The Environmental Ministry of India says GM Conola (Mustard) is being cultivated in countries like USA and Canada before many years. It has the capacity to endure the chemical reaction of herbicides like Gaifaset. There is no information about any adverse effect of the GM Mustard.(See Bharat-GM Conola, Samadrusti,18,16-31 March 2023.) India imports GM Conola(Mustard) and Soybean oil from abroad. The consumers have no objection to it. So to oppose GM Mustard is futile. Such unfounded fearsof adverse impact is only hurting the farmers,and consumers, and industries. Union Enviroment Ministry,(Business Standard,13.11.2022) has said the real thing that lies behind it. It is hurting Industry.Now the love of Central govt for the industries comes clear.
On November 2, 2022 the Hindu has published a balanced news item regarding GM Mustard. Prof Pental has produced DH-11 GM Mustards seeds by synthesizing the genes of Hira-2 and Barun. In this process two soil bacteria were installed in Varanasi and another location. But by this system it would not be possible to have natural pollination in GM Mustard. Nor the Mustard produced in this process could be used as seeds.As a result the farmer has to purchase mustard seeds every year from the company. Again companies claim that DMH-11 gives high yield. But It is said that the real higher production capacity of the mustard would be possible after its cultivation for 11 generations. It is a transgenic crop because it has a union of multiple genes. Again Indian Agricultural Research says the field test for this seed went through three years. It has been tested at 8 different agricultural areas.
Swadeshi Jagran Manch, having farmers, social workers and national volunteers and some scientists in it have been protesting against GM Mustard. They site 6 main reasons for their protest.
- The farmers who grow GM Mustard must purchase mustard seeds paying skyrocketing price to company every year.
- Foreign gene of GM Mustard will infect native mustard in nearby fields. As a result it would be impossible to collect Mustard seeds.
Gluphosinate ammonia will be used for weed control in GM fields. This poison will go inside soil, water and mustard. This will damage the health of man and
- animals.
- Thus biodiversitywill be damaged.
- There is no evidence that it will produce more than the native varieties.
6- Due to poison and chemicals, bees will turn away. But Mustard flowers are pollinated by bees. This will have a harmful effect on society as well as Environment.
Here is a quote from Eintein. It will be relevant to quote it here. Einstein wrote it before 60 years- “when the last bee disappears, humans will Disappear.”
GM Seeds companies may enforce patent laws on farmers and ruin their lives by pulling them to court. Canada is a shining example. The Mustard farmer of Canada PersiSemiser (canola) is a bright example. He was cultivating canola or native mustard without growing GM Mustards.Mansanto company pulled him to court and kept him engrossed for not less than 7 years(1997 to 2004) as a result of which he had to spend crores of rupees. In 1996 Mansanto company introduced GM Mustard cultivation in Canada. PersiSemis ,a native farmer was using the native seeds for Mustard farmimg. In the neighbourhoodsome were cultivating Mansanto GM Conola.In 1997 Persi examined and found that the native mustards were infected by the Monsanto Mustard. He found that his Conolas were showing the GM Mustard properties. In 1998 Monsanto said Persi that as he was utiliingstealth GM Conola seeds secretly and he was infringing the patent law of Canada. He should take the license of Mansanto and should deposit the patent fees for this. Persirefused to do so. Monsanto filed a case against Persi and demanded compensation for the damage. The case ran 7 years and in 2004 the Supreme Court of Canada gave a verdict in favour of Persi. If this happens in India can it be possible for a small farmer of our country to contest Prof Pental or seeds companies in court. One can recollect how before 3 to 4 years Pepsi company pulled the Potato farmers to court just like Persi in Canada. Pepsi was almost forced to withdraw case from the court due to heavy pressure from violent protesters of India. The suit was withdrawn.
Here is a question that why people oppose DharaGM Mustard ? Also here are some reasons for which people oppose it.
If we allow Dhara GM Mustard then the other GM crops will follow. For example GM, Golden Rice, BT Brinjal, GM Potato all will get approvals for cultivation. The father of Dalna’sBejoSheetal seeds and the inventor of S S 793 BT brinjal seeds have been experimenting it in a university of Karnataka. After GM Mustard acquired the approval of union government, a company of Maharastra has been trying its best to get the approval for its BT brinjal. (Down to Earth-16-31 January). Genetically modified rice could be key to tackling of food shortage caused by climate change. This was published in the Statesman on 18 January 2023 ,page 11. How is it that an agricultural scientist or a senior journalist of Statesman does not have this much of knowledge that there is no solution of climate change in GM crops ? It is not in the GM rice grain but the native rice grain has the capacity to keep the production process unchanged with the climate change. In 2004 when the second
International grain year was observed in India, it was decided to go for only Golden Rice. Monsanto and Sigentacompany have been searching for a road to introduce Golden Rice in India. Now let’s expect that it will find its way with the central govt approval of Dhara GM Mustard and the news item published in the Statesman. Government of India has made a target to go fot BT Brinjal field test in 8 states of India including Karnataka. Both the Union Forest and Environment Dept and the GEAC have been working on it. “Binasha kale biparitabuddhi.”
Government is omnipotent or say all powerful. The present union government is in the trap of American Agricultural Policy and the illusion of Multinational Corporations. Utilising as well as abusing the arranged majority(number game) in the Parliament Central government has approved the GM Mustard cultivation which has ultimately brought to light its anti farmer character. The news-item published in the Economic Times on 03.11.2022 is a burning proof of this. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra SinghTomar while addressing the India-Chem-2022 has said that the Government of India has introduced many reforms for the growth of the agrochemical industryand to meet all the challenges that will lie ahead for companies, the Government of India will stand for them(the companies).Fikilauded the Union Chemicals and Fertilizer Ministry for its help for the companies.
Fickey, WLO.and Heads of Bayer crop Science praised the Union Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Chemistry for the rapid growth of agrochemical industry in India.
The Agriculture Minister also promised to make India first in the world of the agrochemical industry. Here is a question does it not give ample information on GM mustard companies’ growth of poison business under the pretext of protecting crops from pests?
By promoting chemical agriculture on the one side if we go on talking about the growth of natural agriculture in the country, then will the whole plan fail to
seem ridiculous?
Prof.Pental of Delhi University, the producer of GM Mustard Seeds, criticized the decision of the Apex Court by saying that –”The Supreme Court, by ordering the maintenance of Staus quotas helped the anti-GM Mustard camp.” What juice is there in this GM mustard
Farming! The central Government, manufacturers, and companies are desperate
- In the Indian constitutional system, Agriculture comes as a state subject. The subject is mentioned. But from 2006 to 2022 the central Government has never been involved in the ongoing GM mustard drama and has never sought the opinion/views of states on it, nor the central Government has obtained any no objection certificate(NOC) on it.
This was not debated in Parliament. Indian Parliament has constituted a Standing Committee under MP Basudev Acharyatoexaminine the pros and cons of GM food grains and report it. The standing committee presented its Report on August 09, 2012. But it was not found anywhere in the report that BT cotton gives high yield at low cost, no satisfactory evidence was there to prove that it was disease free.
Rather the report said that there are many small and nominal farmers who have been spending a lot for BT Cotton cultivation. Pests are more common in BT than native cotton grown by farmers. Between 2006 and 2011, 7,992 farmer reportedly suicide as they failed to repay the loan they had taken for BT cotton farming. Likewise
GEAC failed to show the destructive environmental impact of BT Brinjal when it accorded its approval to BT Brinjalfarmimg. GEAC accorded false information on it. This report in brief, has opined that GM food grains are against the farmers’ and national interests.
As says the Government the consumers of India do consume GM Soybeans and Canola (Canadian Mustard) oil. But there is no response to it. Why are so many people opposing GM Mustard, then? The answer is very simple. How can the consumer know that whatever oil he consumes is GM oil? It is not mentioned over the oil packets or cans.Govt of India in the first chapter of its notification has said that no GM food products could be sold without informing
the food safety and standards authority of India. It is mandatory to stick GM Mustard or Ag label on the GM food packet or tins.(The GazzeteOf India, Extra ordinary-part III sec-4) It is mentioned in Food Safety and Standards Act 2006that without the prior permission of FSSAI the central Government can’t import nor can go for the cultivation of GM food. But at present the Government of India has been importing GM Foods such as GM Soybean oil, Canola and corn flex, GM Baby Foods from countries like Canada ,USA, Holland and the United Arab Emirates. But these GM Food packets bear no GM label on it.( 20 Samadrusti March 16-31). As per 2011 Legal Metrology(Package Commodities) Act it is directed that sticking of GM Label.
is a must on all such GM food packets and tins. But Indian govt has been seen disobeying the law which it itself has enacted. The consumer stands helpless. He does not possess any knowledge about the G.M. foods, so he goes on consuming poison. The Govt,.of India is in the trap of the American Soybean lobby. They eat the Jackfruit but put the gum on somebody’s head.
Hundreds of Bee(Honey) farmers from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana demonstrated in front of Indian Agricultural Research Council’s Mustard Research Centre, at Bharatpur in Rajasthan on 4th Nov,2022 protesting against giving approval for GM Mustard farming. They demanded immediate cancellation of such approval.
According to Tanjim Ansari, the Chairperson ofNatural Research Development ,multipurpose cooperative society, due to cultivation of Hybrid BT cotton bees have been dying and it brings the honey production to all time low. He said, the colonies of bees would disappear after BT cotton farming.
Pratibha Basu, Director of the Center of Polination Studies, Kolkatta Universities, says that due to this type of farming, Eunuch pollen pollination would arrive in native mustard fields as a result of which the native seed system will be infected. By this, a terrible disturbance would be witnessed in biodiversity.
The Agriculture and Food policy analyst Devendra Sharma has come out with a distinct opinion. According to Sharma –India has such indigenous mustard varieties, which produces 3200 kgs of mustard from one hectre. If one goes for farming in “Shri” method it will give 4200 kg of Mustard per hectare. Hence the agricultural scientists of India should go for research on enhancing productive capacity of native mustard production instead of going for GM Mustard.
Annual Production of oilseeds in India reached 22 million tonnes per year in 1990s. Earlier it was 11 million tonnes.In Eighties the Oil Seed Technology Mission of Rajiv Gandhi achieved distinctive success by the management capacity of National Diary Development Board(NDDB) . This was the “Yellow Revolution” in India. Then India became self-sufficient in Edible oil production. It also began exporting edible oil. But during 2003-2004 due to pressure from the US soybean lobby
The Govt. of India reduced import duty drastically. Even edible oil having foreignbrands became cheaper in our country.The Yellow Revolution collapsed.
There was an Industry in Odisha in the name of Oil Odisha. It was Asia’s largest Edible Oil installation at Khurda where they were producing Subarna,Mustard, Sunflower oil profusely. After flooding the Indian Market Oil Odisha was exporting edible oil to Asian countries. Farmers in coastal districts
became wealthy by cultivating peanuts. They went for new building Construction and their Bank
Balance swelled. There was a mad rush for peanut seeds at that time. This was stopped by the Cargilcompany of America. America’s Cargill Company made huge edible oil depots inParadip and other port towns in India. It went on doing business of
Soybean, canola (mustard) edible oil . They sold their products cheaply and the roaring oil business of India went down. It reached such a stage that towards
2004-05 the Indian Farmers failed to dispose off the peanuts from his store. Farmers cannot sell the peanuts produced by them. Oil traders
Conspiracy went on spreading false propaganda that consumers had been consuming poison in ‘dhara’ edible oil. They propagated that at various Oil Depots ofDhara they had been mixing “Agara” (a poisonous fruit)
oil in Mustard oil. The Government also propagated that people would suffer from “Dropsy” ( Jalodari in Odiya,stomach oriented disease) if they cosumeDhara Mustard oil, regularly.
The United States of America determines the agricultural policy of our country. We saw in Bush-Manmahan Kia-Chukti,(MoU for Knowledge Intiative in Agriculture-KIA) was Indian agricultural policy for the selfish gain of multinational companies. Due to farming of poison and use of poisonous seeds in agriculture everyyear 18% families of China turn issueless barren. In “Our Stolen Future”, writers like Theo Culcorn, Dumanowski and Peterson Meyer proved
for the Scientific Economists and Readers of world how dangerous is the ‘Dioxin’ poison that comes in glyphosate grass. This is so deadly that it destroys reproductive function. Russel Carsen, the author of “Silent Spring” brought to the public knowledge how DDT and toxicity of pesticides and fertilizers. These scientific researchers opened the eyes of the people worldwide regarding the poisonous effect of the so called ‘edible’ oil. But the producer of poisonous food companies were not going to stop there. One must recognize their abilities to purchase even the heads of various states and countries. The GM Mustard growers in Canada are suffering a lot from diseases and pests since 2003. But farmers who cultivate MondantoGM Mustard in Canada do a business of not less than 27 billion dollar annually. But since 2003 when Club Root disease entered GM Mustard farming ( espaecially seeds) the producers of seeds companies are facing toruble.
Whether Monsanto, DuDo, DuPont and Bayer, all the seeds companies are now facing the music. They are sitting almost helpless. Clubroot remains active in sporous soil for more than 20 years. Monsanto company earns one third of its total business and profit from GM Mustard seeds business in Canada. In such a situation the claims of GM Mustard seeds producers that their seeds remain totally antibiotic seems ridiculous. (21Samadrusti 16-31, 2023). When stones are flying what to talk of cotton?
After becoming fully aware of the poisonous element in GM/BT etc, Padma BhusanDr.PuspamitraBhargav, Director, Institute of Cellular Micro Biology , went on fighting against GM till his death. His contribution to the closing of BTBrinjal’s field experiment was immense. While Jayaram Ramesh was the Union Environment Minister, when Govt. of India was excitedly waiting to accord approval to BT cultivation, when farmers all over the country were protesting against the anti-farmer policy of the Government,it was Dr Bhargav, a scientist of repute, who was seen protesting BT. At that time the country had a welfare regime.Public hearings were held in eight places of the country. Bhubaneswar was one of them. We, many people, argued in favour of native brinjal in the Bhubaneswar Jansunani Camp. Ramesh was an IITian. He had positive things in his brain. He listened. BT firming remained suspended. It is vividly described in the book – Genetic Roulette where one can know the dangerous reaction of modified food on humans, animals and birds’ body. Not one or two more than 500 internationally known scientists, doctors, and professors
have mentioned views regarding the modified foods. In this 318-page book of Jeffrey Smith, one can distinctly have knowledge about the negative impact of modified foods and of course, seeds.
The dangerous as well as spurious impact of GM BT Potatoes, BT Brinjals, BT Cottons, BT Maize, GM Canola Mustard on health of human, cattle, pigs is vividly depicted in Genetic Roulette. GM food grains damage the liver, intestines, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive system, and urinary tract. Hundreds of proves are there in it. Round of ready Glyphosate which is used to finish grass in GM crop fields enter the
body through GM food products. They produce herbicide in our intestinal tract. David Suzuki was an American geneticist. He wrote that -“contest iscrucial . Yet genetic maniipulation of food ignores millionsof years of revolutionary contest and that couldhave serious implications in the future. We are notdealing with an insignificant change to our diets here,we are dealing with revolutionary technology beingused in our food supply –affecting us ,Future generations
and the ecosystems on which we depend.
It is not that the price of genetically modified crops is skyrocketing. This results in the destruction of traditional seeds germination as those are turning sterile. There were millions of varieties of vegetables in our country before green revolution. The farmers were using indigenous seeds to grow paddy, wheat, and vegetables. After entry of high yielding and hybrid seeds entered the indigenous seeds have been getting obliterated. At present 80 per cent of the seeds we use in our fields are coming from multinational companies like Monsanto, Bayer crop science, Cygenta, DuPont etc. There is perhaps no other business that gives more profit than the seeds business. When Tomato was selling in 2 rupees kilo, its hybrid seeds were selling in 80,000 rupees a kilo. When Brinjal was 5 rupees in the market the seeds were coming in 60000 rupees a kilo. Small and namamatra farmers were getting scary after listening to their price tag. Once the seeds business goes to the rural areas the poor farmers will be poorer while the companies will be richer. Ultimately farming will go to the hands of rich class people. More roads will open for contract farming. Once in 1967, Norman Borg, who claimed to be the gather of Green Revolution shouted in Indian Parliament –”give up indigenous seeds,go for high yielding paddy seeds, use chemical fertilisers, pesticides. There will be no food crisis. It will be over.” After this our farmers who were using indigenous seeds made them engrossed in farming of hybrid crops. In 1992 Norman Blog died in Delhi. But he declared before his death that-“The high-yielding grain, wheat seed has no sustainability.Cultivation of high-yielding or sugarcane seeds is sure to lead to famine.Find native seeds and plant them without delay. It is long lasting.The threat of famine can be eliminated.” Not only Borg the message of MS Swaminathan in the second paddy year in 2004 was- “no more green revolution. Let us start ever green revolution.” The meaning of ‘Evergreen revolution’ meant GM farming. The use of Biotechnology in agriculture and farming through indigenous inputs would be a matter of the past. The agriculture and the peasantry would be buried.
Now Government of India should say goodbye to the illusion of GM Mustard rather it should give stress on use of Indigenous seeds, pesticides, manure and technique. We are not using only Mustard oil for cooking, we use Mustard, Peanuts, Coconuts, Soybeans, Sunflower, Alasi etc. Cultivation of native oil seeds by various race remains to be a matter of pride and glory. Before 20 to 25 years our country was exporting edible oil by cultivating seeds obtained from native Mustard and other oilseeds. If we can free ourselves from the illusionary clutches of colonialist USA and companies and go for agriculture using our indigenous seeds, then we can have this self-reliance of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
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