Ramadoss seeks 10-year green freeze on GM crops

Chennai: Opposing any commercial release of Bt Brinjal, former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has asked the government to put a 10-year moratorium on the environmental release of all GM crops until pending issues were resolved and questions answered.

In the letter dated October 19, Ramadoss has highlighted the reasons for opposing commercial release of Bt brinjal, which he says was created with “the toxic Bt gene”.

Ramadoss said Bt Brinjal could ‘jeopardize the rich diversity of brinjal’ as India is the centre of origin of brinjal.

He said no independent long-term studies have been undertaken and the studies suggested by noted molecular biologist P M Bhargava and a nominee of the Supreme Court in the GEAC, were not done on Bt Brinjal.

He also said that in the absence of proper regulatory process in the country, commercial release of Bt Brinjal could violate consumers' right to safe food and informed choices. Moreover, the decision itself is an infringement of the state government's authority over agriculture.

Anbumani Ramadoss, belongs to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which has declared itself to be a green party that promotes organic agriculture and opposes genetically modified crops through its environmental outfit ‘Pasumai Thayagam’ (Green Motherland).

In the letter Ramadoss has pointed out that there are more than 2,500 varieties of brinjal in this country, which could be jeopardized irreversibly with the entry of bt brinjal.

He has said that the regulatory system in India did not require independent research to be taken up before a GM food is allowed and all the research with regard to biodiversity of bt Brinaj was either done or commissioned by the crop developer. “No long-term studies have been undertaken either,” Ramadoss added.

Ramadoss contended that GM was not any solution to the agrarian crisis, instead it would make things worse for farmers and consumers who are entrapped into these unsustainable technologies which are expensive, erode productive resources, leave toxic impacts on man and other life forms and make farming unviable.

The approval would violate consumers' freedom of choices forever. Stating that agriculture and health were state subjects, the former health minister said, government should not be taking any step that violates the Constitutional authority vested with state governments.