- Anitha Pailoor
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Bt Cotton : For whose benefit?
- Anitha Pailoor |
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The Government consent to the commercial cultivation of Bt cotton has initiated a nationwide debate. Concerns are growing over the controversial decision, which leaves many questions unanswered. Implications of the green signal to Bt cotton are not too clear. But one thing is obvious; the so-called boll worm resistant cotton varieties will trap the farmers in the net of BT firms. For whose cause are we playing with the future of the country? Bangalore witnessed the International BT mela in the third week of April. A presentation to designate the strength of IT hub in BT sector too. Now Karnataka has become one of the major proponents of BT having 70 and odd companies that have identified themselves with biotech. A pioneer in the IT field, Karnataka, now seems to boost its progressive image by backing BT. There was another convention, far, in Dharwad, the same week. If the scientists and multinational companies were busy making speeches in Bangalore about the marvels BT can bring to agriculture 'industry', the farmers who gathered in Dharwad were listening carefully to their leaders and were worried about the consequences of introduction of Bt cotton. And that made the difference between the two conventions held in two cities, which are identified as key centres of biotechnology.
Prof. M. D. Nanjundaswamy (President, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha), Mr. Mahendra Singh Tikayat (President, Bharathiya Kisan Union) and Mr. Selva Mutthu (President, Tamil Nadu Raitha Sangha) participated in the rally organised to mark World Farmers' Day. In the convention they warned the government against introducing Bt cotton and other genetically modified crops as they spelled danger to agriculture. But the government had no time to listen to the farmer leaders, as it was busy discussing the next GM crop in the row, at the BT fair! India officially welcomed the much controversial GM crops on March 26, 2002 when the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) cleared Bt cotton for commercial cultivation in the country. The decision, which came amidst serious warnings from the environmentalists and farmer leaders, set off a nationwide debate. According to the official reports, there are many more GM crops to follow, Tomato, Rice, Mustard…. Low productivity of cotton and pest problem are cited as the reasons for the introduction of Bt cotton. Here cotton seeds are modified genetically by injecting the gene responsible for the protein from the soil microorganism bacillus thuringiensis. The plant thus grown is claimed to be potent enough to resist bollworm, one of the most dreaded cotton pests. Maharastra Hybrid Seeds Company Limited (Mahyco), which pioneered Bt cotton in India, is the supplier of the transgenic cottonseeds. Mahyco is a partner of US Multinational Company Monsanto. The suppliers of the seed boost of high yield and more profit along with pest control, from the genetically modified crop. But concerns are many. Genetic contamination, health impacts and compatibility to Indian environment are the most common arguments that biodiversity experts have against the decision. Chances of cross breeding by the transgenics resulting in super weeds are not ruled out.
The most severe outcome of this decision could be the denial of farmers right to opt for suitable crops and cultivation methods. Farmers will be dependent on MNCs for everything from purchasing seeds to buying herbicides to marketing their produces. This will pose danger to the traditional seed varieties. If the farmers are going to be affected by GM crops, then whose benefit the government has in mind? What makes the issue still serious is that the report of the studies conducted on Bt cotton is not made public. After all it is the genetic diversity that is going to be affected from such hasty decisions.
Mr. Devinder Sharma, a New Delhi based food and trade policy analyst feels, "The GEAC was completely wrong when it asked the company Mahyco-Monsanto to repeat the research trials for one year. In fact, as per scientific norms the research trials should be re-conducted for another three years considering that the data so far collected is not correct. Even the ICAR had asked for two years of more research trials. Mahyco-Monsanto had objected and therefore a compromise for one year was reached. Since when have we started compromising in science?" Prof. Nanjundaswamy speaking at the rally in Dharwad reacted strongly to the Chief Minister Mr. S. M. Krishna's criticism over those who are against the introduction Bt cotton. He advised the Chief Minister to 'study science' to know the consequences of such a move, before criticizing others. In the BT mela at Bangalore, Mr. Krishna had criticized those who are protesting against Bt cotton and had said that if Bt cotton is viable in China why can't it be possible in India. Prof. Nanjundaswamy felt Bt cotton as a threat to the country's food security and to the local seeds produced by the farmers. The scientists who know the truth have sold themselves to the multinationals and are tightlipped about the consequences, he added. Mr. Mahendra Singh Tikayat said, "The farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan have refused to favour the introduction Bt cotton in their respective states. He opined that the government is imposing its views on the farmers." Mr. Selva Mutthu also had similar opinion about the introduction of Bt cotton in Tamil Nadu. The three leaders in the convention asserted that no government or organisation had any right to destroy the genetic resources of the country. The convention warned the government of direct action if the government persists with decision to introduce Bt cotton. The resolution of the convention spoke of a nationwide agitation if the government doesn't move back from its decision. Though caution is being sounded from all over the country against the use of GM crops, India has joined the GM bandwagon. Intensive publicity has been given about the advantage of Bt cotton over the traditional one, making way to other GM crops. Strong opposition from various sectors of the society has not stopped government. Union Department of Agriculture and Research Extension (DARE) is planning to cover 1.5 lakh hectares under Bt cotton in southern and central India. Speaking to reporters recently in Bangalore, DARE Secretary Dr. Punjab Singh said, "There is no protest from the farming community, instead they are queuing up to get the seeds." In her study report (2001), Bangalore based journalist Ms. Keya Acharya says, "With the current situation of exploitation, especially in Raichur in the cotton trade, and the small-farmer's tendency to listen to seed/pesticide/fertiliser companies, Mahyco's monopoly could well be a virtual reality that makes Chief Minister S.M. Krishna's argument of the farmer's personal choice as a 'fundamental right' seem unrealistic." This might well explain why farmers are queuing up to purchase the seeds. Anitha Pailoor can be contacted at: snownitha@yahoo.com
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