Voice against nod for GM trials gets louder

Maharashtra Government may have given no objection certificates (NOCs) for open field trials in four strains of genetically modified (GM) crops, but farmers’ groups and the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), will continue to oppose such steps towards “furthering seed monopolies”.

“We would like to inform the Maharashtra government about the mood of the nation in this regard. Even Gujarat has denied permission. About 90 per cent of all GM crops are grown in just four countries. Are the rest anti-development?” said Ashwani Mahajan, National co-Convenor, SJM, which had earlier opposed field trials of 15 GM varieties allowed by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) last July.

The Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP Government allowed trials for GM lines of rice, brinjal, chickpea and cotton on Thursday, following approvals given for GM maize last year. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar had stated last month that the Centre was committed to trials and that commercialisation will be considered after scientific evaluation.

Along with a preliminary nod from the GEAC, a body under the Environment Ministry, companies wishing to conduct field trials are required to get an NOC from concerned state governments. Andhra Pradesh and Punjab are among the other States that have cleared field trials.

“Companies create seed monopolies, there are impacts on health and the environment as per more than 400 reports. Their marketing techniques are leading to farmer suicides in Vidarbha every other day since they sell such seeds even where the soil isn’t suitable for Bt Cotton and there’s acute shortage of irrigation,” said Mahajan, adding that the GEAC should publish all relevant data from previous tests at the earliest so that an assessment can be made.

Vijoo Krishnan, Joint Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), affiliated to the CPI (M), believed such steps were hasty and highlighted the influence of multinational seed companies. “We are not against research in GM but there’s no transparency in these decisions, it’s the same as when Veerappa Moily approved trials just before the election notification,” he said.

The solution, he felt, was the creation of a broad-based committee consisting of representatives from all States that will assess social impact as well as long-term environmental and health concerns. “We believe that there is no stringent mechanism for approvals in India as of now. Most of the data collected is what companies, which wield huge influence in public universities now, provide,” he added.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) is likely to hold a meeting in New Delhi in March where the GM issue will be addressed. Rakesh Tikait, the body’s national spokesperson based in Muzaffarnagar, stated that the Centre was offering a red carpet to MNCs such as Monsanto while leaving farmers’ interests aside.

“Farmers’ movements in Maharashtra died after Sharad Joshi (Shetkari Sanghatana founder) became pro-MNC, their leaders colluded with these companies who want to control seed availability,” he alleged, adding that his organisation will not allow field trials where it had a foothold.