"This refers to Kerala Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac's statement that the CPI (M) is neither opposed to Genetically Modified crops nor is ready to offer them unqualified support (Jan. 3). To Mr. Isaac, GM crops means Monsanto and Monsanto means GM crops. It is hard to believe that he is unaware of the ground realities of GM crop cultivation in the world. To say that he is neither for nor against GM crops and then proclaim that the State is GM-free is contradictory.
GM crops have been rigorously examined the world over for their biological, human, animal and environmental impact and there are scores of peer reviewed research reports testifying to the scientific aspects of safety and environmental risks. It has been clearly established that the economic benefits of the technology reach the growers directly. Mr. Isaac should pay more attention to his party colleague Ramachandran Pillai who is reported to have said that opposition to GM crops amounts to superstition."
-Dr. Shanthu Shantharam
The sarcasm on left parties for not supporting the introduction of GM corps into Indian market is out of sheer ignorance of the author on this topic. Experts could have waved white flag over the concerns on biological, human, animal and environmental impact of GM corps. But the matter of concern is the impact of the same on Indian economy. During the recent visit of US president Barack Obama, a joint statement was made with Dr. Manmohan Singh which called for the co-operation of both the counties towards developing, testing and replicating transformative technologies to extend food security as part of an ‘Evergreen Revolution’.
Many high-yielding varieties of seeds were launched during the first green revolution. The intellectual property rights of most of these GM seeds are now held by Mosnsantos and Dupuntos, US agribusiness corporations. Now they are attempting to use the human resource potential of India to work for their business-oriented research in this field, which has the potential to rapidly commercialise their products. US agribusiness giants like Monsanto, Wal-Mart and Archer Daniels Midland, are now trying to bring about changes in regulation related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), GM seeds, contract farming, and intellectual property rights in agriculture.
Quoting an editorial article published in Economic & Political weekly in the light of recent Joint statement issued by our Prime-minister and President of United States on the collaboration in agricultural research in the name of food security : “Overall, if all goes well for US agribusiness interests and their Indian representatives, the local agents of the Monsantos and the Duponts will increasingly be trading hybrid seeds with “terminator genes”, contract farming will spread, irrigation and the distribution of water will be further commercialised, land reform will proceed in reverse, food coupons for a very narrowly defined “poor” will replace the public distribution system, and futures trading in food grains will flourish, all in the name of ushering in food security”.
If we are indigenously able to develop GM corps, or if we are able to make agreements with foreign countries on collaboration in research and development of the GM corps, without norms that can potentially harm Indian economy, it will be a welcome move. Unfortunately the Government of India has been successful in fogging the true picture of the possible consequences of promoting GM corps which are intellectual properties of Multinational Agribusiness giants under the cover of the term ‘food security’. It is interesting to note that Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill has sections, that aims to suppress the opposition to GMOs and GM products and that promotes non-disclosure of relevant data and other information to the public. It may be a truth the statement that “for Dr.Thomas Issac GM crops means Monsanto and Monsanto means GM crops”, but for India Monsantos and Duponts mean ‘social and economic catastrophe’.
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