Withdraw GM Seeds Immediately, Warn Indian Genetic Engineers.

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GM WATCH dailyhttp://www.gmwatch.org---The cover stories from India's national magazine 'Frontline':1.Seeds and protests2.Biotech brinjal EXCERPT: Top biotech scientists are also critical of the manner in which the GM tests are being conducted. "It is an absolute scandal for us to allow further trials despite the failure of Bt cotton. The seed should be withdrawn immediately, just like faulty drugs are removed from the market. We are being taken for a ride by the MNC [multinational company]-government nexus. These committees don't even have specialised scientists. They exist only to promote the interests of powerful companies, not of

the country..." said Dr. Pushpa Bhargava, founder of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, a world-renowned pioneer of genetic engineering in India.---FRONTLINE, Volume 23 - Issue 12: Jun. 17-30, 2006INDIA'S NATIONAL MAGAZINEfrom the publishers of THE HINDUCOVER STORY: Seeds and protestsVENKITESH RAMAKRISHNANin New Delhihttp://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/stories/20060630004102200.htm EXCERPTS:The UPA government's decision to allow field trials in GM food crops may have human and economic costs.[image caption: HARVESTING COTTON IN Coimbatore. Bt Cotton seeds released by multinational companies this year failed to give increased yields. In Andhra Pradesh, a large number of cattle and sheep reportedly died after eating Bt

Cotton stalks and leaves.]According to the CFGMFI, these decisions have far-reaching implications for agriculture and health . This is especially so giventhe contentious results that experiments with Bt cotton have produced in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. The CFGMFI leadership pointed out that negative consequences were all the more likely because the GEAC had said that the Bt gene being used for the brinjal trials was the same as the one used in Bt cotton. .... reports from the States in which Bt cotton was introduced have indicated that the tests against effects on human health were not as foolproof as claimed by the company. Most farmers and farm workers in different States have experienced longstanding allergies of different kinds. More recently, reports from Andhra Pradesh indicated a rise in sheep mortality after grazing on Bt cotton. According to the CFGMFI, some scientific

investigations have even pointed to a clear correlation between exposure to Bt Cotton and the adverse health conditions seen among farmers.The CFGMFI asserts that studies have established that the Bt gene is a known toxin that affects human and livestock health adversely. A note submitted by the organisation to Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramdoss states: "Published, peer-reviewed papers by scientists demonstrate that recombinant Cry1Ac protoxin in the Bt gene is a powerful immunogen and when fed to mice, induced antibody responses similar to those obtained with the cholera toxin. Research shows that Cry1Ac actively binds to the inner surface of the mouse's small intestine. This contests the often-heard argument that Cry proteins do not affect mammals since they supposedly do not have receptors that bind the truncated toxin in the gut."Given these

results, the CFGMFI points out, the consequences of trials with a food crop, indeed a vegetable crop that will be consumed directly, are unimaginable. The coalition argues that that introduction of the Bt gene in the food crop sector has the potential consequence of genetic manipulation. However, the position of the Ministry of Environment, as expressed by GEAC, is that the bio-safety package has been completed for brinjal and there are no reasons to stop large-scale field trials.Apart from health concerns, the commercial dimensions of the exercise are also being questioned. There is a widespread perception, shared even by some State Agriculture Ministers belonging to the Congress, that the manner in which GM seeds are promoted is beneficial only to private companies, particularly big multinational corporations like Monsanto. Even as such calls go out, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA

Ministry has opened up new areas for Monsanto. The Left parties referred to this trend in a note submitted at the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting on June 15. The note pointed out that "the Seeds Bill piloted by the Ministry of Agriculture seeks to subvert the seed rights of farmers and facilitate monopolisation of the seed business in the hands of the multinational seed companies. The Indo-U.S. Knowledge Initiative on Agricultural Research and Education ... has not only empowered Wal-Mart and Monsanto to dictate the agenda of agricultural research in India but also ensured that such research will be largely funded by the U.S.-based multinationals and therefore tied to the stringent intellectual property regime of the U.S."2.Biotech brinjalFRONTLINE Volume 23 - Issue 12: Jun. 17-30, 2006INDIA'S NATIONAL MAGAZINEfrom the publishers of THE HINDUhttp://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/stories/20060630004902400.htm EXCERPTS:At a time when the safety of Bt cotton is highly suspect, the government's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) is considering clearance of large-scale field trials of Bt Brinjal. It is the first time that GM Brinjal is being released for an advanced stage of field trials in open conditions anywhere in the world. It is also the closest India has got to sanctioning GM food crops.If cleared, it will be the first time that the GEAC allows large-scale field trials for GM food crops. Such field trials could lead to the uncontrolled release of genetically modified organisms into the environment, which could contaminate normal varieties of the crop. Japan and several European countries

have banned cultivation of GM food crops. But India is allowing it entry without taking adequate precautions.Several environmental groups and farmers' associations have appealed against the trials. But the GEAC is dismissive. "We would like some concrete objections based on the data placed before us by Mahyco, not general, emotional arguments," B.S. Parsheera, Chairperson of the GEAC, told Frontline. However, environmentalists opposing the trials say that the data are too sketchy to provide scientific feedback. "This shows how the GEAC takes decisions that affect the health of millions - based on meaningless presentations by companies," said Kavitha Kuruganti from the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.Top biotech scientists are also critical of the manner in which the GM tests are being conducted. "It is an

absolute scandal for us to allow further trials despite the failure of Bt cotton. The seed should be withdrawn immediately, just like faulty drugs are removed from the market. We are being taken for a ride by the MNC [multinational company]-government nexus. These committees don't even have specialised scientists. They exist only to promote the interests of powerful companies, not of the country. And these MNCs, such as Monsanto which is promoting Bt seeds in India, have a notorious record all over the world," said Dr. Pushpa Bhargava, founder of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, a world-renowned pioneer of genetic engineering in India."No country in the world has a satisfactory system of assessing the risks associated with the release of GM plants into the environment. What has happened in this extremely lax environment all over the world is extremely disturbing,

" Bhargava explained. "It is shocking that no tests were done to monitor the effects on cattle or sheep if they ate the leaves of the Bt cotton plant, even though in India crop plants are often fed to cattle as fodder. That is why so many animals died in Andhra Pradesh. The main problem is that there is a conflict of interest in using the tests and data provided by the company."The effects on human health are numerous and often unknown. A recent study in Madhya Pradesh found that farm workers exposed to Bt cotton had allergies including skin eruptions and swollen faces. The Cry1Ac gene is a powerful immunogen and can prompt adverse reactions from the immune system. If humans eat Bt brinjal it is possible that the Bt toxin can enter the human digestive system and interfere with the bacteria in the intestines. There are severe limitations to current allergy testing

procedures for genetically modified organisms. Many GM crops such as beans and Starlink corn were found to produce allergies after they were sold in the market.The NptII gene used as a marker in Bt brinjal can affect antibiotic resistance. The cauliflower mosaic virus, a viral promoter used in Bt brinjal, is similar to the hepatitis B virus, and could reactivate dormant viruses. Studies worldwide have shown that eating GM food can result in wasteful growth of gut tissues and bacterial proliferation, intestinal tumours, immune system suppression and interference with the development of the body's vital organs.Genetically modified plants can harm the environment and biodiversity. Once out in the fields, there is no way of knowing whether normal plant varieties have been contaminated by the GM variety through pollination, which could lead to

the extinction of local crop varieties. This is the reason for the `buffer zone' that most GM crops have rarely followed in India where land is scarce. Moreover, the Cry1Ac gene affects butterflies and moths and alters soil microbiology. Farmers using Bt cotton in India report decline in soil productivity. However, Mahyco said that its tests had ruled out the possibility of any such adverse impact on the environment."It is absurd to say that GM crops will bring us food security. Is there no food security in E.U. countries that have banned GM?" asked Bhargava. "It may kill biodiversity. Several organic methods of cultivation have proved far more effective," he said.The government is racing headlong into the genetic engineering maze, though agricultural studies are showing that natural processes are more effective. In just four years of GM technology, we have seen many

disastrous results. Will no one listen as nature strikes back?DIONNE BUNSHA "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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Dear Ravinderji,I will certainly propose that the RTI should be invoked to know thecorrect picture. Can you imagine, it was the MNCs who conducted thesafety tests, gave a presentation to the concerned officials and theentire thing was approved !! This despite the Bt cotton trial run inAP throwing up many surprises. One has to be blind to gloss over allthe adverse effects of the trials. Don't our scientists read theresearch papers in scientific journals? There is a worldwide furoreover GMO/LMOs.The activists have already filed a PIL in the Supreme Court. Inanother case the Court has fined officials for not conducting asatisfactory probe into the AP farmer suicide cases which wereostensibly linked to the failure of the Bt cotton crop.We are also going to file a PIL against the vaccination policy of thegovernment. It is amazing how mass vaccinations are being carried outdespite growing

evidence that vaccines are capable of fatal sideeffects, permanent maiming, and many chronic diseases.In both the cases it is amply proved that the scientific community,including the medical scientists and doctors, are one of the majorcorrupting forces of this country. Just as in the GMO/LMO case,regarding vaccinations too not many doctors are willing to go onrecord despite being fully aware of the dangers. The minority of honest doctors should pick up courage and blow the whistle on the farce called vaccinations. Already an eminent doctor from the South has openly spoken against the procedure in a gathering of autistic persons. Another doctor has called for a review and has said that ifthe money spent on vaccinations was spent on improving nutrition,hygiene and sanitation, diseases like polio could

be eradicated.Science should be separated from the industry and doctors from salesrepresentatives and commissions if this country is to get back onrails.Regards,Jagannath.IIT-Global-DiscussionGroup , "Ravindra Jaju"<ravindra.jaju wrote:>> Maybe, there is a way to invoke the RTI Act and find out how muchmoney was thrown at the officials to give a go-ahead to these trials!>> --> jaju> > On 6/21/06, Jagannath Chatterjee <jagchat01 wrote:> >> > GM WATCH daily> > http://www.gmwatch.org> > ---> > The cover stories from India's national magazine 'Frontline':> > 1.Seeds and protests> > 2.Biotech brinjal "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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