The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Sunday reiterated its opposition to genetically modified crops in the Indian market.
In a national symposium with scientists, academics and activists, some with leftist background, at Keshav Bhavan, the RSS headquarters here, the SJM opposed the possible announcement of “environmental release” of GM mustard.
The speakers explained in detail how GM crop may affect the entire ecosystem if companies manufacturing GM crops are given access to Indian market. They appealed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government to refrain from creating a market for multinational companies.
One of the national co-conveners of SJM, Dhanpat Ram Agarwal, said that the country needs to continue on researches to ascertain the level of “negative impact” of GM crops on land and agriculture.
“There is direct impact on the human body and many reports have clearly identified the problem with GM crops. Moreover, the entire ecosystem, which includes animals and plants, is also affected which is stopping most of Europe from using GM crop. But due to ignorance, 11 percent of arable land in India has already gone to genetically modified cotton [BT Cotton]…now the campaign is initiated to give market access to mustard, which has to be resisted.”
Earlier, national convener of the SJM Dr. Ashwani Mahajan said the MNCs were “perhaps” pressuring the government to give market access to GM crops.
Dr. Agarwal also agreed. “Evidently, there is a pressure on Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee under Ministry of Environment and Forest from these companies like Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer and it is our responsibility to demand a close scrutiny of this issue before providing market access,” he said.
Well-known conservationist Debal Deb, known for conserving many variety of rice, said the argument that GM crops increase yields was “bunkum.” “GM crop may increase food production thus addressing the question of food security is the biggest bunkum. This is a campaign run by Monsanto which has no scientific basis,” he said.
Another key issue raised by Dr. Deb was the right of farmers to cultivate the crop they want to.
“If that right is dictated by a company or a big land owner then he may not choose food grain and rather go for coffee or cotton farming which would be a disaster for food security,” the conservationist said, arguing that GM crops may slowly destroy the country’s agricultural infrastructure.
Kavitha Kurugnati of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture and Dr. Tushar Chakravarty of the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology also spoke at the event. The speakers argued for focussing on research related to indigenous variety of crops instead of introducing GM crops by “subsidising MNCs.”
