Thursday, November 28, 2013

Vidarbha Farmers to oppose Maharashtra Govt. decision to allow GM Crops Trails

Vidarbha Farmers to oppose Maharashtra Govt. decision to allow  GM  Crops Trails

Nagpur-29th Nov. 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 11,000 farmers suicides have strongly opposed recent decision of Maharashtra Govt.  to give permission to 28  proposals to conducts field trials of various GM crops after high-power committee set up to promote GM crops in states  headed by Nuclear scientist  Dr.Anil Kakodkar has cleared the proposals  mostly from unregulated private seed companies having association with American GM seed giant MNC Monsanto which is under scanner and litigations throughout the world for unfair trade practices and charges of promoting Gm crops which are unsafe for health and environment moreover USA based Gm seed company is being blamed for creating seed monopoly and is party to American super power to control ‘Agriculture –food economy’ of the world  hence we urge Maharashtra Govt. to cancel all NOCs given for field trials of GM crops in Maharashtra as this will be converted in commercial trails  Genetically Modified (GM) without making any  a proper regulatory and safety mechanism , Kishore Tiwari President of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an activist group working for farmer and demanding ban on GM crop since 2004  said in press release today . 

Earlier the 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 has upset the game plan American GM seed giant MNC Monsanto to hassle free commercial trails of GM crops hence this is back door entry ewith help of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathaviraj Chavan who are very close to these MNCs and strong supporter of GM crop for the reason known to the world but fround reality is western Vidarbha which 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 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.


“We urge Maharashtra Govt. to scrap proposed GM crop field trails 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 center of origin like rice, brinjal, and mustard which is 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.


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