The Hindu Business Line : GM dangers

The editorial “Modified Controversy” (Business Line, June 28) focused on the urgent need to put the functioning of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) on an even keel. As rightly pointed out, the policy-makers need not feel pressured and must insulate themselves from corporate pressures.

The fact that the GEAC has been functioning in an ad hoc manner on the approval of genetically modified (GM) crops has been of genuine concern to committed scientists, here in India and overseas, as also, representatives of civil society and millions of farmers, who are the stake-holders.

The current public interest litigation (PIL) is an offshoot of this genuine concern. It is this concern that led to the formation of an independent expert committee, which submitted its finding, especially on Bt brinjal, which was field-tested by agribusiness giant Monsanto’s Indian subsidiary Mahyco.

The panel found several instances of breach of bio-safety norms in the field trials, prescribed by the Department of Biotechnology.

The report submitted in mid-October 2006 has still been not acted upon, and sporadic field trials on Bt brinjal have been going on in the country, more specifically in Tamil Nadu.

Mr Kapil Sibal, the Union Minister for Science and Technology, has gone on record that “of course, the Government of India is pro-GM”. These are disturbing factors in the entire issue and point to a serious clash of interests, coming as they do from highly placed authorities.

In some parts of Europe, there is a deep-seated distrust, even an aversion, to the science of genetic engineering, and this distrust is strongest in Germany and the Netherlands, where there is a wide public debate on the issue.

No such discussions are taking place in India, while ad hoc and ill-structured field trials are going on, posing a danger to our soils, environment, bio-diversity why even the very life of India.

K. P. Prabhakaran Nair e-mail

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