The Opposition had tasted blood during the stir on sugarcane pricing in the last session of Parliament.
The moratorium on Bt brinjal comes as a result of 13 states rejecting the move, which aimed at introducing the genetically modified crop in the country. A huge mobilisation of farmers’ groups and ecological activists against it was another reason.
A more significant part of this is the political mobilisation on what is seen as a “green issue” probably for the first time in India.
States ruled by BJP, Left and NDA had sent their refusal to the Centre on considering the introduction of Bt brinjal. Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka ruled by the BJP have been following the line laid down by RSS and Swadeshi Jagran Manch.
The Left-ruled states of West Bengal and Kerala have also vehemently opposed the move for ideological reasons. “Frankly, after the opposition to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff, and the huge farmer rallies in the 1990s, this is the first concerted effort by the Opposition,” said a member of the BJP’s intellectual cell.
The Congress had, over these years, successfully hijacked the rural agenda with programmes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and agricultural loan waiver in 2008. “This was a harking back to the old politics, wherein farmers groups were a force to reckon with and could take to the streets over pricing,” said a senior Left leader.
The Opposition tasted blood during the agitation against sugarcane pricing in the last session of parliament. Delhi was held hostage for over two days as Uttar Pradesh farmers forced the Centre to take back a new pricing ordinance. Then too, BJP, Congress, SP and the Left parties along with the Rashtriya Lok Dal were united in this.
“Farmers have shown that NREGA and loan waivers will not prevent them from mobilising on issues that touch them. The Opposition has come out of its coma as well,” said a leader.
Public hearings on Bt brinjal also showed that the Centre appeared isolated as the opposition was ready to take it on over this issue.
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