Field trials of the Genetically Modified Crop Bt Brinjal.

A valuable letter received from Thanal is as follows

Dear Sri Chandrashekaran Nair,
You may be aware that the Central Government, specifically the GeneticEngineering Approval Committee (GEAC, under the Ministry of Environmentand Forest) is on the verge of approving the large scale seed production andfield trials of the Genetically Modified Crop Bt Brinjal.See link below.
http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/geac/geac-ag-68.htm
This is for the first time in the country that a food crop is being given suchpermission. The results of the Bt Cotton approval three years ago and thedisaster it has wrecked is still a huge liability that the MoEF and the GEAC isneither able to contain nor do they actually acknowledge. All their proposedsafety mechanisms and regulatory systems completely failed to contain thecontamination and impact on the human and cattle health and environment.The permission is being on a highly inadequate procedure given that this isthe first time in the world that a Bt Brinjal is coming up for approval for largescale trials in the open environment. Many countries that haveexperimented have refrained from opeinng for safety reasons.So, this is the time when we need to point out that the GEAC (and theMoEF) need to adopt a precautionary approach and refrain from opening ourcountry to GM. Moreover, as peoiple working in the Organic Farming sector,or associated with the organic movement, the very release of GM willcompletely wipe out organic food and the purity of traditional seeds and thediversity which we for years have been protecting.We have sent our protest and we wish all of you can send in your protests.We have attached a letter, which we have sent. You are free to modify thesame, or send the same. Please address it to the following persons
Shri B S Parsheera, Chairperson,
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC),
Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi.Fax No : 011-24363967
Also send copies to
Dr D D Verma, Vice Chairman,
GEAC at the sameaddress Fax : 011-24361613
Dr Ranjini Warrier, Member Secretary,
GEAC, same address Fax : 011-24363964
Please do send us a copy of your letter / or let us know whether you have sent the letter
warm regards usha
Please spread the letter and get as many to sign and send"

"The following section of this message contains a file attachmentprepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format.If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system,you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer.If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance. ---- File information ----------- File: Letter to GEAC-for list.doc Date: 1 Jun 2006, 15:40 Size: 29184 bytes. Type: Unknown",0]

Shri B S Parsheera, Chairperson,Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC),Ministry of Environment and Forests,Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.Fax No : 011-24363967Also send copies to Dr D D Verma, Vice Chairman, GEAC at the sameaddress Fax : 011-24361613Dr Ranjini Warrier, Member Secretary, GEAC, same address Fax : 011-24363964Please do send us a copy of your letter / or let us know whether you havesent the letterwarm regardsushaPlease spread the letter and get as many to sign and sendThe following section of this message contains a file attachmentprepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format.If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system,you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer.If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance. ---- File information ----------- File: Letter to GEAC-for list.doc Date: 1 Jun 2006, 15:40 Size: 29184 bytes. Type: Unknown
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As PDF File http://www.geocities.com/janapaksham/Letter_to_GEAC-for_list.pdf
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To
June 1, 2006
Shri B S Parsheera
Chairperson, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee [GEAC]
Ministry of Environment & Forests
Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
Fax NO: 011-24363967

Dear Shri Parsheera

Sub: Bt Brinjal Large Scale Field Trials – Consideration of application for permission by GEAC – reg.

We wish to draw your immediate attention on the Agenda Item No. 4.2 in the GEAC meeting dated 1/6/2006 on the matter of considering granting permission for seed production and Large Scale Trials of Bt Brinjal of 4 Mahyco hybrids.

In this regard, we wish to point out that GEAC has already grossly failed in its proclaimed objective of ensuring safety of the environment and public health, and is liable for all the bio-safety violations and irregularities that have been brought to your notice on the Bt-Cotton issue by various research institutions, civil society organizations and even State Governments. Your attention had also been called on the violations in a Bt Brinjal field trial in Andhra Pradesh. While turning a blind eye to such harsh realities, one wonders what motivates you to consider giving further permission to large scale field trials of any GM crop in the country.

In this context we wish to point out that you were clearly fore-warned about the futility of the regulatory and safety systems that you are following for clearing the GMO research and field trials and which you with impudence chose to ignore. This action has led to letting loose a biological disaster affecting farmers and workers lives, consumer safety, health and environment.

There are many studies on adverse health effects with many GM crops from all over the world. Some of these studies are so disturbing that countries have been forced to stall their research. The field trials of Bt Cotton in India has already led to the total contamination of the cotton chain, and we have found both the government and the companies either purposefully complacent or totally incompetent to contain and redress. This is an unprecedented situation. Given this situation we demand that GEAC take a precautionary approach in further research and release of Genetically Modified Organisms, especially in food crops and stall the release of Bt Brinjal seeds.

Even though Cotton is a non-edible crop, it has created health hazards for people at different levels of its production and processing. In these circumstances, what will be the impact of Bt Brinjal, a popular vegetable on the health of people who will be forced to consume it ?

No body including the manufacturers of GM crops has ever told that GMO’s are safe. In our country, both the scientific community and the farmers have done a lot of work on Brinjal to improve its productivity and control the pests, through IPM, NPM, Organic farming, Biodynamic Farming etc. The results are highly encouraging and these methods are inherently safe unlike the GMO’s. In this situation we do not understand why GEAC is in such a hurry to give permission to Bt Brinjal hybrids of Mahyco. We urge the GEAC that before giving permission they collect all information on all the research done on Brinjal, especially its agronomic performance as well as pest control and climate tolerant varieties and its field performance in the country and put it before the public for evaluation of these methods with Bt Brinjal.

There has never been a serious public debate initiated on the adequacy or even the need of biosafety measures and it has led to gross violations as seen in the case of Bt Cotton, and the whole blame now lies on the farmers. Given the condition that farmers in this country are mostly illiterate and they are not properly informed of the biosafety regulations, and the situation that they cannot be relied upon to implement such biosafety measures as prescribed by the seed companies and the GEAC, further release of genetically modified crops and seeds can lead to a total bio-disaster in Indian agriculture.

We understand that a Supreme Court case is also pending on the matter of introduction of GMOs and the Biosafety procedures etc and it is a legal impropriety on the part of the GEAC to display such hurry for approving GM food crops like vegetables, for reasons that they have not been able to justify at all.

For the above said reasons, we demand that the GEAC consider the seriousness of the issue and restrain itself from giving approval to the seed production and large scale field trials of Bt-Brinjal and other GM crops/organisms.

Thanking you in anticipation





CC:
Dr Desh Deepak Verma, Co-Chair, GEAC at 011-24361613
Dr Ranjani Warrier, Member-Secretary, GEAC at 011-24363964
Dr Devinder Sharma, Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, New Delhi

To the New Chief Minister of Kerala

Kindly submit valuable comments to prepare a letter to the New Chief Minister of Kerala. We expect the co-operation of Keralites all over the World will participate in it.
Thank you
For Worls Malayalees

English Version

Dear Sir,
We represent a close knit community of Malayalees living in different parts of the world. The majority of us are living away from our homes and homelands due to circumstances as varied as employment studies and other personal circumstances. Nevertheless, as expatriate Malayalees, we show the same, if not more, strong bond, patriotism and alligence towards our motherland as does anyone else. Among us who are sending you this letter are included a lucky few who have had the good fortune of staying back in Kerala.

Inspite of the fact that we as a group come together to communicate and discuss with effectiveness and independence through the medium of internet about topics that concern our land and are conducive to the progress and betterment of our society, we as a group do not subscribe to, or are members of any single institution, association or establishment. Based as it is on personal freedom, vantage and the tenacity to express them, our group does not even have a slogan or an ajenda, hidden or explicit.
We have learned that in the past month or so, the Department of Agriculture, under the aegis of your administration, has been distributing widely the chemichal compound by the name 'Rodofoe'(refered to hence forth as 'the chemical') for the purpouse of controlling rhodents to the members of our farming community free of cost. May we say such measures that are taken with obvious good intentions are laudable to say the least.
Sri. Chandrashekaran Nair, a senoir and very active member of our community, who is a full time small scale farmer did take part in this distribution venture. As a prudent farmer and a concientious citizen who is as much interested with high productivity farming as he is concerened about the long and short term ecological impacts and benefits that such methods present, our dear friend asked a few fair questions to the government officials present on the occasion based on his vast and abundant personal experience. What struck Sri. Nair, who served our country for several years in the army and also was an expat himself at a previous time, was the fact that none of the officials present could answer his questions satisfactorily based on actual and proven fact. What was more strange was the fact that the very same officials ridiculed him and tried to portray Sri. Nair as a renegade and isolate him infront of his compatriots who might or might not have been fully aware of the effects of the chemical that was being distributed. Nevertheless, Sri. Nair took reciept of the chemical, albeit with a dubious mind, with the view of doing further research on the matter.

With a renewed sense of concern, Sri. Nair then approached other responsible officials under your government with a view of clarifying the matter. To this end, he contacted the Pallichal A.D.A Srim. Mini, Dr. P.K. Babu of the Department of Environment and the Principal Agricultural Officer Sri. Shivaprasad over the telephone.The first two mentioned, turned his enquiries down claiming that it was the responsibilities of their ranking officers. But as openly stated on Sri. Nairs personal website, the attitude of Sri Shivaprasad was most unprofessional and crass to say the least. In light of his bitter experience with the whole matter, Sri. Nair stated all these events on his personal website and asked for our help and support. Isolated as we are in several parts of this world from the family, relations and the land that we so cherish, such instances of scathing and truculent behaviour anywhere in Kerala is something that would appal us and make us take the matter to heart as we did. As a group whose voice is not often heard due to the lack of our proximity to active issues, we would like, at least in this instance, to declare our solidarity and compassion to an upstanding citizen and farmer like Sri. Nair.
Inasmuch as we are aware of the preciousness of your time brought about by weighty responsibilities, the reason we are submitting this letter is to obtain defenite answers about the following.
1. As Sri. Nair suspects, is Bromadiolone, a compound which is present in Rodofoe, a strong and harmful chemical?
2. Has un-prejudiced and independent tests/studies been carried out by chemical scientists and/or biochemists or has this been undertaken based on facts obtained from not so credible sources?
3. Even if tests/studies have been carried out by government bodies, research institutes or universities, from where can an ordinary citizen/farmer of the state be able to obtain the study reports?
4. On the other hand, if it has been or will/can be proven that the chemical is severly damaging to the ecosystem, in the interest of public health and community welfare, would your government be willing to immidiately cease the distribution of the same before it is too late?
5. If on the other hand, such tests/studies has not yet been carried out to determine the effects of the chemical, would your goverment show the initiative and goodwill to carry out such tests and furthermore, suspend the distribution of such chemicals till a credible result is obtained?
6. What measures have been taken to investigate and ensure that no vested interest or personal association has influenced the descision to distribute this chemical?
7. Is Rodofoe being distributed in keeping with the guidelines of the state and central laws governing and regarding the display of relevant health-caution and statutory warning on the packets?
8. As a consumer who is in reciept of such goods at no cost to self, is a person denied the right to know about the goods recieved?
As per the information gathered from various sources, Bromadiolone is a highly toxic and harmful chemical substance with long term effects. This is a second generation rhodenticide that has been tried and withdrawn from other countries due to the possible effects that could threaten the delicate balance of the ecosystem and also pose a threat to the future generations.
Nevertheless, as non-experts in the field of pest control and agricultural science and as responsible citizens, we are bound and willing to accept the proven and truthful facts with humility and reverence provided by the state government of Kerala. To this end, we request that you entrust the relevant officials the responsibility of answering our queries within a reasonalbe time by responding to each one of us or to Sri. Nair. It is our hope that we are not construed as a group who attempt to hinder the progress of our state and its governance. We are but a group who would wholeheartedly support any attempt on the part of the government that would contribute to the prosperity and health of our state.
In addition to the issues stated above,, what grips us as much as the ambiguity surrounding a strange and untangible chemical is the unprofessional and arrogant treatment that Sri. Nair was subjected to by your officials. We are of the strong belief that every citizen of the state of Kerala is entitiled and is responsible for the progress and glory of our country as much as yourself and the officials serving the public under your administration. These officials who should set an example for their fellow citizens are trampling upon the very right of any person to be known and recognised.
As to an active and popular Cheif Minister who is being viewed with much reverence, We would like to collectively and individually register our vociferous protest and angst at activities perpetrated by these officials that hinder and stymie the progress and welfare of nation. It is our hope that you would strongly warn such officials who culture and habit an unscrupulous disposition and loathing towards the general public.
We regret the fact that we had to resort to un-approve methods to bring your attention to this issue and that we took up your valuable time. But we hope that, in the light of the expansive seriousness and our helplessness, you would consider this as an official complaint and do the neccessary.
We remain
Yours Faithfully

A letter to Chief Minister of Kerala

Dear Friends, Hon.Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, suffered a fracture after slipping on ice and underwent surgery in Switzerland recently. He will be discharged from the hospital only after a week's time. As per media, CM would have to use crutches for at least six to eight weeks. The mass email petition campaign scheduled for 30-Jan-2006 will not be carried out in view of the above situation. Alternative date would be notified after further discussions.
Dear Visitors,
The draft is also available as PDF file (in Malayalam) for your review and corrections!
Please send the suggestions as comments to this blog or to Mr. Chandrasekharan Nair as e-mail! The translated vertion in English will be published as soon as possible.
Also please suggest if we must send it on which day to arrange for printed -mails and wait for CM to come back to Kerala
Email: chandrasekharan.nair@gmail.com

An open letter from world Malayalees

The Draft of the common letter is published as PDF file

Avoid poisons like Endosulphan, Carbofuran, Rodofoe, Round up, Ethiphon etc to save the soil of Kerala.

"Bromadiolone an anti coagulant to kill rats with a name - Rodofoe"

Is this Bromadiolone is a presentation of Globalisation & WTO?

An open leter to the Chief Minister of Kerala in Malyalam published by S.Chandrasekharan Nair Click on it & another letter to the Public Click on it (A pdf file dt. 20-02-06 due to join with anti endosulphan strike at Trivandrum) Plese Visit this pdf file about Insecticide Act 1968 & rule 1971 to ament in Malayalam.

Contact Number of S.Chandrasekharan Nair: 919447183033

Facts and Counter facts of "Bromadiolone" in pdf file Click on it

May be late on tomorrow View chintha.com page (a pdf file)

Thanks for an invitation received from Thanal On January 26 th 2006 (A pdf file)

A Decade of WTO (A presentation by Devinder Sharma)

See this Page (a web page with the reason for the death of Wild Lions, foxes, bobcats & Eagles)

Thanks to Desabhimani (a pdf file in Malayalam)

Please remember your petition id for further enquiries