GM mustard nod signifies 'total failure' of India’s limited biosafety regulations

Counterview Desk
The Coalition for a GM-Free India, a pan-Indian citizens’ platform, releasing a report to showcase 15 instances of serious regulatory lapses in the appraisal and approval GM Herbicide Tolerant (HT) mustard, has said that the Government of India and its regulators are “seriously endangering” public health, environmental safety and socio-economic condition of farmers.
Stating that India, a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, has thus violated international commitments in its appraisal and approval processes related to GM HT mustard, it insisted in a statement that the Government of India, even as setting aside the recommendation from the Supreme Court’s independent Technical Expert Committee to ban HT crops, has allowed itself into “irresponsible misadventure with GM HT mustard approval.”
“The approval demonstrates total failure of India’s limited biosafety regulations and also showcases the serious deficiencies in the regulatory regime”, it said.
The statement comes amidst Supreme Court hearing arguments on three petitions that have challenged GM mustard approval given by he Government of India, for its environmental release. It is the first GM food crop that has been approved in India despite the fact that the Government of India has admitted it is a herbicide tolerant crop, calling herbicide usage "essential" in the seed production phase of GM mustard hybrids.
The court proceedings have reached a critical juncture, with the Attorney General arguing that "the inquiry of the Hon’ble Court may be limited to whether there is an adequate regulatory mechanism in place governing this field and whether there has been material compliance with the same”.

Text:

The Coalition for a GM-Free India, a pan-Indian citizens’ platform has released a report to showcase 15 instances of serious regulatory lapses in the appraisal and approval of Delhi University’s GM HT mustard. This report was released ahead of a crucial hearing by the Supreme Court on the matters related to the approval of GM HT mustard. The Coalition is a platform that works to keep India’s food systems free from gene technologies, and to promote safe, farmer-controlled, sustainable and viable alternatives. The report was released mainly as a public response to the false assertions of the Government of India in the Supreme Court. The way Government of India is seeking to mislead the Hon’ble Court on at least five issues related to GM mustard was highlighted in a past media outreach in the month of November 2022. This particular report focuses not on GM mustard per se, but the regulatory regime that appraised and approved GM mustard.
“In the Supreme Court of India, the Attorney General (AG) on behalf of Union of India has been attempting to move the Hon’ble Bench’s attention away from the Court-Appointed TEC’s ban recommendation with regard to HT crops. The Technical Expert Committee’s ban recommendation on HT crops is based on scientific evidence and after listening to various stakeholders including the Government of India. The Government of India-nominated experts into the TEC were also asking for this ban, unanimously with three other independent experts nominated by the petitioners. This should have clinched matters, and the Government should have banned these dangerous crops. We sincerely urge the Court to pass orders that indeed ban HT crops given the numerous hazards that they bring in. Similarly, a ban on transgenics in all those crops for which we are the Centre of Origin and/or Diversity. Mustard is one such crop. However, we are also cognisant of the arguments being put up by the AG defending India’s regulatory regime. He was heard asking the Bench to look into whether there is an adequate regulatory mechanism or not, and if they are able to find any deficiencies in the regulatory processes. It is against this backdrop that we are putting out this report, to show serious and objectionable deficiencies, and how the appraisal and approval of GM mustard showcase the story of a compromised regulatory regime in India”, said Kavitha Kuruganti of the Coalition.
Sridhar Radhakrishnan, Co-Convenor of the Coalition added: “Our report presents 15 illustrations of serious regulatory violations and infirmities, to show that what the Union of India is claiming about the robustness of our regulatory regime is a set of falsehoods yet again. These are only illustrations. These are to show how unreliable the regulators are, and the regulatory regime is, to protect ordinary citizens and their environment from risks of modern biotechnology. We show how even without a formal approval letter being issued, ICAR jumped into the picture on behalf of a third party applicant, to ensure that seeds are planted in great haste, and a fait accompli delivered. Delivering the fait accompli itself is a violation of a court undertaking by the Union of India. We show through RTI responses that no (independent) health expert ever participated in GM mustard appraisal. We show the timing of when a GM mustard developer is made into a GEAC member and how he participated, despite what the AG tried to showcase to the Hon’ble Court. We show how testing of GM mustard for environmental safety violates the limited guidelines/protocols laid down in India’s regulatory regime. Similarly for food safety too. We show how studies are recommended/prescribed and permitted by the regulatory body, but then not done, because the crop applicant would have sought exemption on some unscientific ground or the other, and the regulators simply agreed to these requests!”
“There are other instances showcased too, which show that India is callous and negligent about sticking to commitments made in Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Our regulatory regime is seriously compromised. We are putting out this report in the public domain so that the regulators and Government of India cannot perpetrate falsehoods about the regulatory regime being robust. While this is so, on the matter of HT crops, given the large credible body of scientific evidence on the ill-effects of such crops, and given the regulatory failures amply visible with regard to curbing farmer level illegal usage of unapproved HT crops and herbicides, we urge the Supreme Court to pass orders for a ban on HT crops, as recommended by its own independent technical experts”, said Kapil Shah, Co-Convenor.
---
Click here for the report

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Green Revolution’s reliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides contributing to Punjab's health crisis

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh* Punjab was once synonymous with robust health, particularly in its rural areas, where farmers were known for their strength and vitality. However, in recent years, reports from these villages tell a different story, with rising cases of serious health issues, including cancer. What led to this decline? The answer lies largely in the erosion of good nutrition, once a hallmark of Punjabi village life. The health of a population is closely tied to its nutrition, and Punjab's reputation as a provider of high-quality nutrition has suffered greatly. The loss of biodiversity in agriculture has led to a decrease in the variety and quality of crops, resulting in poorer nutrition. Pulses, a key source of protein, have seen a steep decline in cultivation due to the disruption of traditional farming practices by the Green Revolution. This has had a detrimental effect on both soil and human health. Although pulses are still available in the market, they are exp

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog