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Break the BRAI bill, cry Karnataka farmers

It’s an attempt to bulldoze public concerns about GM crops, they say

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Resistance is building up in the state against the proposed Bio-Technology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill to be introduced in the winter session of parliament.

A meeting of farmers, agriculture scientists, organic farming activists, nutrition scientists and environmental activists chaired by Western Ghats Task Force chairperson Ananth Hegde Ashisar, on Friday, demanded chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda to write the Centre to drop the proposed bill. The meeting also decided to discuss the issue with MPs from Karnataka, urging them to
oppose the bill, if it is introduced in parliament.

The bill is a blatant attempt to bulldoze public resistance and genuine concerns about genetically modified (GM) crops and to deny state governments their constitutional authority over agriculture and health issues, the participants at the meeting said.

The bill would open the floodgates for entry of multinational companies into agriculture. “It would extend a red-carpet welcome for GM crops that would contaminate hundreds of native breeds in paddy, wheat and other foodgrains that are part of India’s agricultural system for thousands of years,” said Kavita Kuruganti, national convenor of Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture.

“GM foods would cause havoc, as it would adversely impact the functioning of brain, liver, reproductive system, and immune system,” she added. The bill would, in the long run, deprive farmers of their traditional seed rights and raise the cost of agriculture, as farmers would be forced to pay heavy price for seeds and other inputs. “Farmers would be further pushed into a debt trap, said, G Krishna Prasad, member of Sahaja Samudaya Organic Farmers’ Association of Karnataka.

“Regulation of modern biotechnology is not like regulation as in other sectors like telecom where corrupt politicians and bureaucrats can hope to make money. There should be only one mandate for the proposed bill— that is health and safety of people of India, its environment, and its biological diversity. Given such a mandate, this bill should be introduced by the ministry of health and not ministry of science and technology,” the participants said.

The bill would allow a three-member panel to decide the future of India’s food and agriculture sectors, without transparency in its functioning. The authority would not come under the ambit of Right to Information Act, the meeting noted with concern.

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