Government minister turned into a Monsanto salesman

Editorial

While holding the first consultative meet on Bt Brinjal at Kolkata on January 13, Minister of state for Environment and Forest (MOEF) Jairam Ramesh declared, ‘I am not an agent of Monsanto’. Monsanto is American multinational company spreading its genetically modified seeds Bt Cotton, Bt Rice, Bt Maize and now Bt Brinjal. Yes, he is right, he is not an agent, but he is a salesman of Monsanto. If not, why is he wasting public money and governments’ time on travelling to seven cities in the country to know the obvious? Everybody knows that (i) there is no dirth of brinjals in the country, about 2000 varieties are grown in abundance in different regions of the country suitable to the climate and soil of the region. Why is there any need to add 2001st variety that too a foreign variety? (ii) Bt. Cotton of this company sown in Andhra Pradesh, Vidharbha, Madhya Pradesh have resulted in a large scale farmers’ suicides, (iii) Many developed countries including France, Germany have banned the use of Monsanto’s GM seeds in their countries. French farmers led by Jose ’Bobe’ have burnt several times the godowns of Monsanto’s seeds. How has this Bt Brinjal issue become so important and urgent that the Minister is flying in the country for it? Had there not been more important issues like joining WTO, changing our well-respected patent laws, changing our seed law, introduction of nuclear plants, privatization of education and inviting foreign universities, taking U turn by the government with Ramesh as representative to Kyoto Protocol and agreeing to Copenhegan Accord under the US pressure, on which consultation with people was more necessary and urgent?

But unluckily, just as many tie-suited MBA boys turned as companies’ direct salesmean are rebuked and pushed out of homes when they shamelessly go on praising their products, Ramesh got the similar treatment in Kolkata and Bhubneswar. Large scale protests by farmers, women, social activists and scientists greeted the Minister. West Bengal and Orissa produce 50 percent of total countries’ brinjal. Ramesh represents a government led by a party which got only 26 per cent of people's votes. Then 50 per cent producers’ No to Bt Brinjal should suffice to reject it. Why is the Minister wasting public money, governments’ time and peoples’ energy and time in holding future consultations in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Nagpur and Ahmadabad?

When a company launches its new product, it studies its market acceptability. Is the Minister not doing the same thing for Monsanto?

A word about the role of scientists in this drama. It is reported the a few scientists in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar were speaking in support of Bt Brinjal. Their argument that GM food is necessary for feeding one billion Indians, is exactly the same argument which Monsanto is spreading throughout the world, that is, the GM seeds are the answer of the world hunger. This company, like other MNCs, throws lot of money to scientists, institutes and universities to propagate its seeds. A building in Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore was vacated on the direction of its director and handed over to Monsanto for its research. After great protests by the scientific community of the institute, Monsanto was thrown out of the campus. Several universities have received heavy grants from this MNC and are making trials of and propagating its seeds. I personally know a young brilliant scientist whom Monsanto tried to entice to propagate its seeds, but he refused. Scientific community with some notable exceptions like Dr. P.M. Bhargava, Founder Director of Centre of Cellular and Molecular.

Biology, Hyderabad, is being corporatised. For instance, a scientist, being the director of a government scientic organization, undertook 100 foreign trips sponsored by MNCs. Science is now hanging between truth and profit.

We have nothing against Ramesh as a person. But he represents a system which is corporatized. He has to follow its dictats, as he did very recently in Copenhegan. He had been shouting from the horse mouth that there would be no going back from Kyoto Protocol? How can this gentleman explain his U-turn taken at Copenhegan?