Indian farmers burn GEAC effigy and protest against Bt Brinjal before the minister

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Bt brinjal faces countrywide public wrath

Bharatiya Krishak Samaj protests against introduction of Bt brinjal

Farmers burn effigy of Genetic Engineering Approval Committee

http://www.news.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=1535

By: Special Correspondent on: Wed 27 of Jan, 2010 12:50 UTC

Nagpur, Jan 27: Farmers under the leadership of the Maharshtra state unit of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj (Indian Farmers’ Organisation) today intercepted the Union environment minister, Jairam Ramesh while he was on his way to preside over the public consultation on Bt brinjal and shouted slogans against the proposed introduction of Bt brinjal.

They burnt an effigy of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) in the presence of the minister. According to them “the GEAC with some handpicked scientists and so-called experts was responsible for pushing the approval of Bt brinjal.â€

The farmers said that the Bt brinjal not only can create ecological problem on account of gene flow resulting in genetic contamination, but also can prove hazardous to human and animal health as revealed by series of studies by independent scientists. The GEAC has deliberately overlooked the safety aspects of Bt brinjal, bowing to the pressures from US seed multinational, Monsanto and the US Administration, they said.

The farmers shouted slogans against the corporate takeover of Indian agriculture and demanded that the seed multinationals should leave the country.

The national President of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary in a statement lauded the farmers for demonstrating against the introduction of Bt brinjal. “The GEAC has committed a scientific fraud in approving Bt brinjal. Worlwide studies done by independent scientists have revealed health and ecological hazards of Bt brinjal,†he said.

The local police arrested the President of the Maharshtra unit of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Sanjay Jadhav, the youth wing president of the Nasik unit of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Pramod Bairagi, and three other members of the Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, namely, Dada Saheb Gaikwad, Ramesh Changle and Bala Saheb Mate. The farmer leaders were released after six hour detention.# ------------------

State chiefs don't want hasty decision on Bt brinjal: Jairam Ramesh

http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-39557.html

Nagpur, Jan 28 : Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has said that several State Chief Ministers have asked him not to take hasty decision on the commercial cultivation of BT brinjal.

Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a National Consultation Meet on Bt brinjal, Ramesh said: "Chief ministers of states such as Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka and Orissa have written to me that there is a need to conduct more experiments on Bt brinjal."

"There is a need of conducting more experiments on BT brinjal, especially regarding human safety part. They don''t opine that to introduce (commercially release) Bt brinjal is that important," he added.

He further said it is the duty of scientists to dispel doubts regarding the GM crop.

"I believe that it is the duty of scientists to clear doubts of people and there reservations regarding Bt brinjal. Such important decisions (whether to commercialise BT brinjal) should be taken in a democratic way and in a transparent manner," said Ramesh.

However, outside the venue of this meet, farmers under the banner of ''Bharatiya Krishak Samaj'' had assembled to stage a protest demonstration against the Bt brinjal.

They greeted the minister on his arrival with slogans against the proposed introduction of Bt brinjal and also burnt an effigy of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC).

The GEAC, which had been instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, has recommended field experiments of BT brinjal.

BT brinjal is a transgenic brinjal created by inserting a gene cry1Ac from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into brinjal. A US-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation and a Maharashtra-based Indian company market BT brinjal in India.

--ANI

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Bharatiya Krishak Samaj protests against introduction of Bt brinjal, burns GEAC effigy http://www.mynews.in/News/Bharatiya_Krishak_Samaj_protests_against_introduction_of_Bt_brinjal,_burns_GEAC_effigy_N36443.html By Anant Paliwal Nagpur, Jan27: Farmers under the leadership of the Maharshtra state unit of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj (Indian Farmers’ Organisation) today intercepted the Union environment minister, Jairam Ramesh while he was on his way to preside over the public consultation on Bt brinjal and shouted slogans against the proposed introduction of Bt brinjal.

They burnt an effigy of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) in the presence of the minister. According to them “the GEAC with some handpicked scientists and so-called experts was responsible for pushing the approval of Bt brinjal.â€

The farmers said that the Bt brinjal not only can create ecological problem on account of gene flow resulting in genetic contamination, but also can prove hazardous to human and animal health as revealed by series of studies by independent scientists. The GEAC has deliberately overlooked the safety aspects of Bt brinjal, bowing to the pressures from US seed multinational, Monsanto and the US Administration, they said.

The farmers shouted slogans against the corporate takeover of Indian agriculture and demanded that the seed multinationals should leave the country.

The national President of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary in a statement lauded the farmers for demonstrating against the introduction of Bt brinjal. “The GEAC has committed a scientific fraud in approving Bt brinjal. Worlwide studies done by independent scientists have revealed health and ecological hazards of Bt brinjal,†he said.

The local police arrested the President of the Maharshtra unit of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Sanjay Jadhav, the youth wing president of the Nasik unit of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Pramod Bairagi, and three other members of the Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, namely, Dada Saheb Gaikwad, Ramesh Changle and Bala Saheb Mate. The farmer leaders were released after six hour detention.# ------------------

Minister faces farmers' fury on Bt brinjal

Nagpur, 27 Jan 2010

http://www.d-sector.org/article-det.asp?id=903 & idFor=903

Union environment minister, Jairam Ramesh encountered angry Nagpur farmers while he was on his way to preside over the public consultation on Bt brinjal. The farmers shouted slogans against the proposed introduction of Bt brinjal and burnt an effigy of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) in the presence of the minister.

The farmers representing the Maharshtra state unit of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj (Indian Farmers' Organisation) alleged that the GEAC with some handpicked scientists and so-called experts was responsible for pushing the approval of Bt brinjal.

The farmers shouted slogans against the corporate takeover of Indian agriculture and demanded that the seed multinationals should leave the country. Interestingly, Nagpur is considered a stronghold of agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who has been a strong votary of corporatisation of Indian agriculture and has raised his voice in favour of commercialisation of bt brinjal.

The national President of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary lauded the farmers for demonstrating against the introduction of Bt brinjal and alleged that the GEAC committed a scientific fraud in approving Bt brinjal. "Worlwide studies done by independent scientists have revealed health and ecological hazards of Bt brinjal", he said.------------------

State chiefs don't want hasty decision on modified brinjal: Jairam

http://in.news./139/20100128/808/tnl-state-chiefs-don-t-want-hasty-decisi.html

Thu, Jan 28 02:30 PM

Nagpur, January 28 (ANI): On the sidelines of a National Consultation Meet on Bt Brinjal in Nagpur on Wednesday, India's Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said that many state chief Ministers have asked him not to take any hasty decision about commercial cultivation of the genetically modified Bt brinjal (egg plant).

Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a National Consultation Meet on Bt brinjal, Ramesh said: "Chief ministers of states such as Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka and Orissa have written to me that there is a need to conduct more experiments on Bt brinjal."

"There is a need of conducting more experiments on BT brinjal, especially regarding human safety part. They don''t opine that to introduce (commercially release) Bt brinjal is that important," he added.

He further said it is the duty of scientists to dispel doubts regarding the GM crop.

"I believe that it is the duty of scientists to clear doubts of people and there reservations regarding Bt brinjal. Such important decisions (whether to commercialise BT brinjal) should be taken in a democratic way and in a transparent manner," said Ramesh.

However, outside the venue of this meet, farmers under the banner of ''Bharatiya Krishak Samaj'' had assembled to stage a protest demonstration against the Bt brinjal.

They greeted the minister on his arrival with slogans against the proposed introduction of Bt brinjal and also burnt an effigy of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC).

The GEAC, which had been instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, has recommended field experiments of BT brinjal.

BT brinjal is a transgenic brinjal created by inserting a gene cry1Ac from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into brinjal. A US-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation and a Maharashtra-based Indian company market BT brinjal in India.

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