Addressing volunteers today, Greenpeace Sustainable Agriculture campaigner Rajesh Krishnan said ‘“The hundreds of citizens across the country who are even willing to get arrested to save our rice shows the huge concern the Indian public has on genetic modification of our rice. The concern arises from the unanswered questions on health, environmental and socio economic impacts that genetic engineering of the staple food of 2/3rd of the country poses.”
Last month, on June 22nd, Greenpeace volunteers took a direct action on the hazardous GM rice field trials in Chinna Kanjarla village near Patancheru, 45 km from the city. Following the action, Bayer had filed a police case against 35 individuals, including the general public and media who were present in the vicinity. The charges against the activists are trespassing, causing damage and even criminal intimidation.
The Sarpanch of the Chinnakanjarla village had earlier informed the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, the authority approve GM crops in India, pointing out that prior permission of the local village Panchayat had not been taken before the GM rice trial was done in their village. No information was provided to the villagers on the nature of the field trial or it’s possible danger of contamination to crops growing in nearby fields.
“This is a clear case of corporate crime where our food systems are being contaminated with potentially dangerous products just because the companies have a monetary benefit in doing” so said Praveen Paul’ who was part of the protest today and had volunteered to get arrested in an effort to stop genetic modification of rice.
While protests against such open trials of genetically modified food crops are raging across the country the government of India seems to be in a confused state with the agriculture ministry saying that India is going ahead with GM food crops while the Minister for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh openly declaring that the country does not need GM Food, Rajesh concluded.
Last month, on June 22nd, Greenpeace volunteers took a direct action on the hazardous GM rice field trials in Chinna Kanjarla village near Patancheru, 45 km from the city. Following the action, Bayer had filed a police case against 35 individuals, including the general public and media who were present in the vicinity. The charges against the activists are trespassing, causing damage and even criminal intimidation.
The Sarpanch of the Chinnakanjarla village had earlier informed the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, the authority approve GM crops in India, pointing out that prior permission of the local village Panchayat had not been taken before the GM rice trial was done in their village. No information was provided to the villagers on the nature of the field trial or it’s possible danger of contamination to crops growing in nearby fields.
“This is a clear case of corporate crime where our food systems are being contaminated with potentially dangerous products just because the companies have a monetary benefit in doing” so said Praveen Paul’ who was part of the protest today and had volunteered to get arrested in an effort to stop genetic modification of rice.
While protests against such open trials of genetically modified food crops are raging across the country the government of India seems to be in a confused state with the agriculture ministry saying that India is going ahead with GM food crops while the Minister for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh openly declaring that the country does not need GM Food, Rajesh concluded.
Contact information
- Rajesh Krishnan, Greenpeace India Sustainable Agriculture campaigner; rajesh.krishnan@greenpeace.org Mobile. +91-9845650032
Stella Paul, Greenpeace India Communications officer;
stella.paul@greenpeace.org Mobile. +919845068125
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