New Delhi, February 9, 2010: Terming the decision of Mr Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment & Forests of placing a moratorium on the release of Bt Brinjal as an extremely positive development for India, Kheti Virasat Mission thanked the Minister for taking a precautionary approach on this controversial matter. “This is a path-breaking precedent set by the Hon’ble Minister and the fact that he emphasized that there should be under no circumstances any hurry or rush with this moratorium (and on all the independent scientific studies to be undertaken to the satisfaction of public and professionals), is most welcome”. The deep divide in the scientific community of India and the overwhelming concern of the general public against this Bt Brinjal made it the most fitting case for a precautionary principle to be invoked.
The organization urged the Minister to ensure that a liability clause is fixed on the crop developer making it solely liable for any potential leakage and contamination during the period of moratorium, keeping in mind the biotech industry strategy of “contaminate first, regulate later”.
It further pointed out that during the period of moratorium, no open air trials should be allowed and further research should be in strictly contained conditions.
“This is an opportune time to recast the approval and review mechanisms in the country in fundamental ways, after the precedent he set of opening up decision-making processes and taking it beyond the regulators’ arena”, Umendra Dutt , Executive Director ,KVM said. This should mean a policy framework that takes into account the very need for GM crops and a need assessment to precede any R&D effort, as laid down by the Supreme Court observer Dr Pushpa Bhargava. There is also an urgent need to put into place a liability regime in the country in addition to a labeling regime. The blueprint provided by Dr Pushpa Bhargava for independent testing facilities in the country should be accepted and implemented immediately.
“While we would have been happier with the Minister rejecting Bt Brinjal once and for all given that many safer and sustainable alternatives exist, we also believe that the technology is hazardous enough that any rigorous, independent scientific testing would bring out the hazards of these GM crops; it was precisely this kind of evaluation that was sought to be bypassed and the Minister’s intervention had helped Indians from becoming guinea pigs in an irresponsible experiment. The Minister has also set a precedent in taking decision-making to issues beyond biosafety during his consultations and we welcome that too”.
This is the right time to take up a comprehensive review of Bt Cotton as has been accepted by the GEAC way back in 2008, before the country moves ahead on this controversial technology for other crops too.
The deep scientific divide that got exhibited in India too, as elsewhere in the world on this issue, got thrown up thanks to the processes adopted by the Hon’ble Minister and would not have come to the fore otherwise, opined Kavitha Kuruganti of Kheti Virasat Mission. The Minister also needs to be congratulated for upholding a democratic spirit around his decision-making.
While the Minister had clearly qualified his decision to be specific to only Bt Brinjal, it follows logically that some basic rethinking should be applied to this technology and its applications in our food and farming systems given that a lot of research funds which could otherwise be productively utilized elsewhere are going into this controversial area. The public concerns expressed during the past couple of months are only a tip of the iceberg and while the Government of India took a precautionary approach here, it is time that resources are put into lasting farming solutions for the benefit of the farmers of the country.