Indian farmers slam decision to conduct GM Bt Brinjal trials.

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Indian Farmers' Leader, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary's letter to GEACchairman on the proposed field trials of BT BRINJALDr Chaudhary's contact mobile : 09810331366BHARAT KRISHAK SAMAJ ( FARMERS§ FORUM INDIA )Chairman: A-1,Nizamuddin West,Dr. BAL RAM JAKHAR New Delhi-110013Governor, Madhya Pradesh Phone:24359508,Telefax: 24359509Executive Chairman Email:bksnd Dr. KRISHAN BIRCHAUDHARY Former Chairman, State Farms Corporation of India May 31,2006ToShri B S Parsheera Chairperson, Genetic Engineering ApprovalCommittee [GEAC]Ministry of Environment & ForestsParyavaran Bhawan, CGO ComplexLodhi Road, New DelhiDear Shri ParsheeraSub: Bt Brinjal Large Scale Field Trials – Consideration ofapplication

for permission by GEACThis is with regard to the Agenda Item No. 4.2 in the GEAC meetingdated 1/6/2006 which says that GEAC will consider permission for seedproduction and Large Scale Trials of Bt Brinjal of 4 Mahyco hybridsin this meeting.In this regard, we would like to bring to your notice that the GEACis yet to act and fix liability on the various biosafety violationsand irregularities brought to your notice by civil societyorganizations, including on a Bt Brinjal limited field trial inAndhra Pradesh. While turning a blind eye to the harsh realitiesrelated to serious regulatory failures, you seem to be ready to goall out to support the industry in its profit-making endeavours.Given that there are many studies on adverse health effects with manyGM crops from all over the world, what is the assurance that theright questions have been asked in this case to arrive at the rightanswers with regard to the

safety of these crops? We have found thatBt Cotton, which was upheld through your tests to be safe to humanhealth [amongst other things] is indeed causing a lot of healthproblems amongst farm workers and ginning factory workers. Similarly,there were recent reports on the mortality of livestock after grazingon Bt Cotton. It is not clear how GEAC is assessing suchpossibilities as part of its biosafety testing regime nor how is itacting at least on such reports by commissioning detailed independentinvestigations once these preliminary reports are out.It would be disastrous for this country to rush into approvals justbecause a prescribed set of tests for a prescribed period have beencompleted as per some procedures laid down. There has never been aserious public debate initiated on the adequacy of such a biosafetyregime and even though there is a Supreme Court case pendingprecisely on this matter, the GEAC seems to be

in a great hurry toapprove even GM food crops like vegetablecrops, for reasons that are not clear at all. This is especiallysurprising in all those crops where safer, inexpensive and farmer-controlled options like IPM, NPM and Organic are in place,successfully practiced and established all over the country.The data presented by the company on various studies done in BtBrinjal was put up by the GEAC only this morning [31/5/06] andconsidering that this is a very important food/vegetable crop of thecountry, there should be at least 90 days allowed for feedback on thebiosafety tests and their findings. Secondly, the data put up is notadequate for an intelligent and scientific debate to take place sinceit only has findings without details of the research design andprotocol in each case. We demand that full reports on each test bepresented and not just findings.We also demand that the GEAC show its

accountability to the public bysharing what improvements have been made in its biosafety protocols,in its monitoring systems and in its accountability systems, beforegiving any more permissions for trials, given your proven inabilityto ensure biosafety in this country. Here, we would like to remindyou that it was during such field trials that illegal Bt Cotton andrapid contamination of the Cotton chain began in this country andGEAC could only wring its hands in helplessness. The dangerous andunscientific manner in which field trials take place in this countrytell us that we are only one step away from a huge bio-disasterwreaked on Indian agriculture.To sum up, we once again demand that the complete set of data on BtBrinjal including the testing protocol [and not just findings] be putup for public feedback, that at least 90 days be provided for suchfeedback, that such feedback be taken on board with all

theseriousness it deserves, that clearly-needed improvements be made inthe testing regime and monitoring systems and shown to be made to thepublic before any permission for any more trials in the openenvironment are given in the country.Yours Sincerely,Krishan Bir Chaudhary (Executive Chairman)----------------Suresh MotwaniAgronomistISAP RC - CentralCell: 09329450167Email: sureshWeb: www.isapindia.org "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." -

Aurobindo.