North Indian farmers destroy Monsanto's GM corn field trials
Shahabad
(Kurukshetra), October 18: In a dramatic action, farmers of the BKU
forced the Haryana State Agriculture University to fulfil their
commitment to destroy Monsanto's ongoing GM corn field trials in
their public research station.
Last
month, farmers and activists of the GM Free India coalition had met the state Agriculture Minister
Paramvir Singh to show their resentment that public sector
universities had become the experimental grounds for Monsanto's risky
technology. They had requested a ban on GM field trials in the state.
“A month has passed since we met the Agriculture Minister but the
government has failed to act on our behalf. The onus is now on us,”
said Gurnam Singh, Haryana state president of the BKU.
Hundreds
of farmers carrying banners reading “Monsanto
GM corn Quit India”
protested outside and
gave an ultimatum to the research station of the Choudhary
Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCHAU) when the
university officials promised that they would completely destroy the
field trial. However, later Monsanto's officials were caught trying
to sneak out the GM corn from the research station with support of
University staff. Alert farmers stopped them and surrounded the
research station when this news spread. They then forced the
University authorities to comply with their promise and burn the
complete field trial.
The
farmers’ protest follows a recent recommendation by India's Supreme
court to put a 10-year moratorium on all field trials of GM crops in
India owing to the risks involved. Public opposition to GMOs has been
building in the country owing to growing scientific evidence on the
negative impact of GM crops on human health and environment. There
are also concerns about the manner in which seed companies are taking
control of the seed sector by using their patented GM seeds. This has
been the case with the only commercially cultivated GM crop in India
- Bt Cotton. Monsanto now controls more than 90% of the cotton
cultivated area of India and has wiped out local cotton varieties
leaving framers with no alternative choice.
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