By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After a spate of success stories like telecom giant Bharti Airtel stopping the use of diesel to power its mobile network towers besides the Union government’s plan to reduce subsidy over the adverse impact of fertilizers on soil and crops and rather divert the funds to organic manures, bio-fertilizers, green manures and promotion of organic farming, now internationally acclaimed Greenpeace, a non-governmental environmental organization has taken up the cause of Genetically Modified (GM) crops, which if implemented will have an adverse impact on foods on our plate. A bill on this issue will be tabled at the monsoon session of the parliament starting Monday.
This Greenpeace initiative has been wholeheartedly welcomed by large number of people from all over the country including Meghalaya since if this decision takes shape then it will affect one and all.
The Union government is contemplating to help foreign multinational corporations, like Monsanto, to dump GM food on the consumer’s platter and in order to pave the way for the entry of these ‘poisonous food’ corporations, the government is also eyeing to create a Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) that will approve GM crops despite large scale resistance against it.
“The BRAI bill if passed will set up a body that will allow GM crops in the country without checking their safety and consequences on mankind. Genetic modification of crops is a dangerous technology, being opposed by countries all over the world,” said Greenpeace activist N Saigal.
In June, the Supreme Court appointed expert committee recommended a moratorium on field trials of GM food crops citing the potential danger of GM crops to our health and environment. For the past three years millions of people have been protesting against GM crops and the BRAI bill, which has thus helped to delay the bill.
But ironically, yet the government wants to create BRAI and allow GM food in the country in order to please Multi National Corporations like Monsanto in the name of FDI.
The Greenpeace over the years have upped its ante against the proposed bill and use of GM in food crops. It has invited people from all over the country to join hands together and oppose the bill and use of GM.
The bill was furtively tabled in the last budget session of the parliament but it has been thereafter recommended for review by a standing committee on Science, Technology, Environment and Forests amidst uproar against the bill.
The said committee has sought for people’s comments, suggestion and under strong pressure they extended the deadline to get more comments on the bill. Greenpeace says that once the committee is done with the bill, the government will be eager to present this bill in the monsoon session of parliament this August.
“There are more voices asking for safe food that will make the government think twice before they table the bill. This is our chance to make sure that our right to eat safe and healthy food is not taken away by foreign multinational seed corporations,” said Shillongite Juhi Sen, doing post graduation in food technology at DU.
Greenpeace ensures the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity and focuses its campaigning on worldwide issues – global warming, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering and anti-nuclear issues. Greenpeace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals.