Vidarbha Farmers welcome Supreme Court committee’s “NO” to GM crops

Vidarbha Farmers welcome Supreme Court committee’s “NO” to GM crops

Nagpur-23^rd July 2013

3 million debt trapped distressed cotton farmers who are innocent victims of first Genetically modified (GM) crop Bt.cotton commercial trials resulting more than 10,800 farmers suicides have welcomed recommendations of  Supreme Court technical expert committee imposing an indefinite moratorium on the field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops till the government comes out with a proper regulatory and safety mechanism.

“Vidarbha is known as farm suicide capital of India after 2004 when Indian Govt.  allowed very rain sensitive Bt.cotton commercial trials which has proved as disaster as Technology was suitable for dry land cotton farmers and successive bt.cotton crop failure and mounting debt has started farm suicide spiral which is till continued and this truth was confirmed by Indian parliamentary committee headed by Basudeo Achaya MP reports too but cartel in Agri. Ministry and close liaison of MNCs  has been able push GM crops even after this vidarbha farmers’ genocide  hence we are indebted with  Supreme Court technical expert committee historic decision”    Kishore Tiwari President of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an activity group working for farmer and demanding ban on GM crop since 2004  said in press release today . 

“We urge UPA Govt. to scrap proposed e Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, 2013, which is pending with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest as  expert committee in its report to the Supreme Court said there should be a moratorium on field trials for Genetically Modified food crops like Bt Brinjal intended for commercialization until there is more definitive information from sufficient number of studies as to their long-term safety based on the examination of the safety dossiers, it is apparent that there are major gaps in the regulatory system as it is serious that GM crops for which India is a centre of origin like rice, brinjal, and mustard now being kept on hold which reflects view of the  Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, in a report August 2012 had asked for ban on GM food crops in the country” Tiwari added.

 ‘Vidarbha cotton farmers has paid cost  misdeeds done by regulators which  ignored several issues relating to health safety data of GM crops that biotechnology companies had used to obtain approvals aimed at commercial release of the crops without any socio-economic impact study during evaluation, the panel said ,that has confirmed by apex court technical committee hence we want criminal prosecution against concerned who allowed Bt.cotton seed  commercial trails in dry land region of vidrabha where there is no protected irrigation facility  as farmers forced to kill themselves due to massive crop failure and mounting debt converting region as graveyard  or dying field of farmers and tragedy is till continued’ Tiwari added.