Activists oppose GM mustard cultivation

Urge govt. to persuade Centre to refuse nod for growing the crop

Health first: A young protester at the rally held at Elliots beach on Saturday.

Farmers, environmental activists and scientists gathered at Elliots beach in Besant Nagar here on Saturday evening to urge the Centre not to allow commercial cultivation of genetically modified mustard in the country.

They also urged the State government to take up the issue with the Union government asking it not to Kpermit the cultivation, since it would not be in the interests of the farmers, the environment and people’s health.

Ananthoo, member of Safe Food Alliance, said that no tests were conducted on the seeds and that vested commercial interests were trying to push the crop.

“Experts and scientists say that there are a lot of risks involved in growing the crop since it is unstable and not fit for human consumption. In India, the seeds are used in a dish called

sarson ka saag and the cattle are fed the whole plant. And there is no way of reversing the technology,” he said.

‘An entry point’

Ecologist and founder of Ecoscience Research Foundation, Sultan Ahmed Ismail, said that the scientific community and farmers were looking at the grant of permission for GM mustard as an entry point of several such food items.

“They tried to bring in a macro crop like brinjal. But that did not happen. Now they are trying it with mustard and this will be the first official crop to be introduced in India. We would end up losing our own biodiversity and genetic varieties,” he said.

Mr. Ismail explained that the seed was not a hybrid variety as it is labelled.

The parent varieties have undergone genetic mutilation. The herbicide that is being pushed along with this crop has neuro-toxic substances, he said.