The Hindu Business Line : NGOs, farmers plan anti-GM campaign

Hyderabad, April 6 Marking the global day of ‘Action against genetically modified (GM) crops and foods’ on April 8, several non-governmental organisations and farmers’ associations are planning protest rallies and dharnas across the country.

“The objective is to remind the State and Central Governments about their constitutional responsibility and obligation with regard to agriculture. They should have a long-term vision for farming,” Ms K. Kavitha of Centre for Sustainable Agriculture said here in a press release.

According to her, Thanal, an NGO based out of Kerala, would organise a State-level meeting, which would be inaugurated by the State Agriculture Minister in Ernakulam.

In Andhra Pradesh, meetings and protest rallies are being planned at district level. Besides, members of Coalition for GM-Free Andhra Pradesh would organise a protest rally. “Farmers from Khammam, Nalgonda, Kurnool, Warangal, Prakasam, Guntur and Mahbubnagar would take part in the rally. They would say ‘no’ to GM crops,” she said.

“They will narrate their personal experiences of crop losses in the kharif in 2007, allergies and livestock deaths,” she added.

In Bhubaneswar, Orissa Nari Samaj would organise a rally where hundreds of tribal women would showcase the traditional seeds. Some other NGOs would collect signatures on a petition, demanding that Orissa should be kept free of GM crops.

“Like-minded NGOs from Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra too would organise dharnas and meetings,” Ms Kavitha said.

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