GMW: 'STOP THE CROP' LATEST IN INDIA

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GMW: 'STOP THE CROP' LATEST IN INDIA

" GM WATCH " <info

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 12:58:10 +0100

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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Here's the latest on the public interest petition to India's Supreme

Court calling for a moratorium on the release of GMOs into the Indian

environment and for the neeed for proper biosafety testing.

 

As those bringing the case, like Aruna Rodrigues, have noted,

" independent scientists have been threatened, gagged or fired;

regulatory authorities round the world have been compromised. In

India, as the media knows, Monsanto has doctored reports on Bt cotton.

It is a story of skulduggery, dodgy science and shaky ethics. It is

all there in the evidence before the Supreme Court. "

MORE ON THE CASE: http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=5230

 

 

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SC notice to Centre on contentious GM seeds clearance in India

 

The Hindu, July 13 2005

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200507131612.htm

 

New Delhi, July. 13 (PTI): Entertaining a PIL seeking ban on the

release of genetically-modified organism/seeds having the potential of

causing major health hazards, the Supreme Court today issued notices

to the Union Ministries of Agriculture, Science and Technology and

Environment and Forests.

 

A Bench comprising Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice G P Mathur,

issued the notices on the PIL filed by Aruna Rodrigues after hearing

arguments from counsel Prashant Bhushan, who alleged that the policy

of the Government was to give speedy clearance to genetically-modified

organism (GOM) even before putting in place a mechanism to test their

bio-safety value.

 

The petitioners also sought a stay on the import of huge quantities of

edible oil by India from Argentina stating that 80 per cent of the

arable land in that country was under cultivation of GMO crops.

 

Referring to the new policy of the Government regarding GMO

clearances, Bhushan cited the experience of genetically-modified BT

Cotton seeds being allowed for commercial production and the extensive

debate it had generated about the absence of safety measures as well

as the long term implications on human health.

 

He said the GMO seeds were pest-resistant high producing variety with

the inherent drawback of passing on strands of pesticide to human body

that could in future blow up as major multiple health problems.

 

However, the Bench said two views could be possible on the utility

value of the GMO and a debate is on about it.

 

 

 

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