Farmers launch massive agitation against new patent law

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Subject:GMW: Farmers launch massive agitation against new patent law

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Wed, 2 Feb 2005 09:20:54 GMT

 

 

 

 

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1.Farmers launch massive agitation against new patent law

2.Farmers oppose patent ordinance

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1.Farmers launch massive agitation against new patent law [india News]

Web India, updated 2 Feb 2003

http://www.webindia123.com/news/m_details.asp?newscode=91263 & catcode=ENG3 & subcat\

code=

 

New Delhi, Feb 1 Several agitating farmers' organisations and trade

unions today announced February 26 as a day of countrywide agitation with

a march to parliament followed by a " Beej Satyagraha " to oppose the new

'anti-people' patent law.

 

Flaying the new law which came into effect from January 1, Dr Vandana

Shiva, the Director of Research Foundation for Science, Technology and

Ecology said, ''it sneaked in through an ordinance dated December 26

last year and it totally introduces seed totalitarianism at the hands of

the big multinationals.

 

" It jeopardises every farmer of this country who has for centuries used

a part of his crop as seed and exchanged it as the new law does not

differentiate that seed with a genetically modified one. In other words,

the farmer will have no right to sow his own seed on his own land as

some trait of his seed could be a patented one for which he can be sued, "

she said.

 

Announcing the decision to launch a " Beej Satyagraha " on Baisakhi day,

the harvest festival, which falls on April 13, Ms Shiva said, " how can

they talk of a re-enactment of the Dandi march in Sabarmati and in the

same breadth take away from the farmer his right to his own seed. "

 

Talking of the other aspects she said, " there are no clear definitions

on several issues in the ordinance. The pharma and the software

industry are the two other areas which will be badly hit which is why

we will

fight it tooth and nail. If we cannot prevent the parliament passing

the bill which will be introduced this budget session we will openly defy

it. "

 

Speaking to the press Mr B K Keayla, Convener National Working Group on

Patent Laws, said, " There were no expert consultations or discussions

done and several of the earlier recommendations have in fact been done

away with. The Mashelkar Committee report which had said that patenting

should to applicable only to new molecules has been done away with the

scope of patentability being too wide. " [india News]

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2.Farmers oppose patent ordinance

OUR ECONOMY BUREAU

Financial Express, January 10, 2005

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=79377

 

NEW DELHI, JAN 10:Farmers' bodies have decided to oppose the recent

ordinance which seeks to introduce patent monopolies on seeds. The

agitation will be launched on January 30.

 

They have decided to oppose the proposed amendments to the Seeds Act,

government policies leading to privatisation of the water sector and

market monopolies likely to be created by attempts to modify the

structure

of regulated markets for agri produces, Food Corporation of India and

the public distribution system.

 

As an alternative, the farmers' bodies have decided draft a new

agriculture policy and submit it the government after the conclusion

of the

proposed two-day deliberations on March 2.

 

Farmers' organisations from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,

Orissa, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra

converged in the capital on Monday and resolved to launch their

countrywide

agitation.

 

The farmers' conclave was organised by Bija Vidyapeeth and was

addressed by eminent speakers like former Indian ambassador to GATT SP

Shukla,

Prof Utsav Patnaik of Jawaharlal Nehru University, former chairman of

ST & SC Commission, BD Sharma, Dinesh Abrol of All India People Science

Network, Supreme Court advocate Prasant Bhushan, convenor of the

National Working Group on Patent Laws, BK Keayla and Navdanya's founder

director, Dr Vandana Shiva.

 

Briefing mediapersons at the conclusion of the farmers' conclave, Dr

Shiva said: " The Patent Ordinance has proposed patent monopolies on

seeds, genes and markers. This will lead to farmers' paying royalties to

seed companies. Further, the proposed amendments to the Seeds Act, like

compulsory registration, will prevent farmers from using farm-saved

seeds. We have decided to oppose all these measures and boycott

multinational companies producing agro-chemicals and seeds, including the

genetically modified ones. " Regarding agitation against the proposed

water

sector reforms, she said the focal areas will be Bundelkhand and Doab.

 

Bundelkhand is threatened by the Ken-Betwa river link financed by the

World Bank and MP Water Sector Reform Project. The fertile plains of

Doab are threatened by diversion of Ganga water to Delhi. The agitation

against water sector reforms will begin on February 14. On that day,

farmers will also serve notices of non-cooperation to the government, she

said.

 

Ram Kalspurkar of Vidharbha Organic Farmers' Association alleged that

sterile seeds sold by companies have led to suicides by farmers. He also

complained about proliferation of a virus called CaMV which has damaged

the crops.

 

 

 

 

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