Doctors in India vow to fight GM food.

[Guest guest]

A CLARION CALL TO DOCTORS FROM DOCTORS

(Received from Dr GPI Singh.)

 

Dear all,

Request fwd this call to all medical fraternity in your contact.

Regards,

Dr GPI Singh

 

 

 

Dear colleague,

 

This is a CLARION CALL

 

 

All doctors are surely concerned about the nation’s health and no doctor can

remain oblivious to the current health issues, especially as they themselves may

be at risk.

 

While the world debates the global warming, increasing food prices, diversion of

food crop areas to bio-fuel crops, a silent scourge is looming large on the

Indian horizon-the scourge of GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GM) foods and the related

grave health implications.

 

GM foods are being developed and pushed into developing countries in the name of

helping them to handle the ‘hunger’ of teeming poor millions. The ostensible

suggestion is that GM crops would increase yields per acre, will be cheaper,

will contain desirable contents like proteins in higher proportions and will be

pest resistant hence more economical.

 

The facts are unfortunately the REVERSE of above claims.

 

Not only this, non-food GM crops like cotton, are already released. Their

products/ residues are already in the food-chain through animals feeding on the

seed/oil-cakes, grazing in such fields. There is a popular concept among our so

called well-informed society and intelligentsia ( read Policy Planners) that

India can not continue to be retrograde and must walk with the ’Brave New

World Order’ and hence must be receptive to the new scientific breakthroughs,

especially when it relates to mitigation of hunger and meeting the nutritional

needs of it’s billion people, more so when it comes from technologically

advanced countries like the USA.

 

Dear doctor, consider the following :-

 

1.. Most EU countries, by and large, have banned or restricted GM foods or GM

crops within their borders. The latest is the French Parliament resolution dated

14 May 2008.

2.. The British Medical Association called for a moratorium on planting of

Genetically Modified crops forcing the Govt to consider proposals for research

on possible health risks of GM foods, as far back as 1999.

3.. Numerous European Supermarket chains announced that they would not sell GM

foods. There is no system of labeling of GM foods for sale in the food stores

possibly due to pressure from Bio-tech Corporations pushing such foods/

products.

4.. Two German Universities have called off Field trials of GM crops following

intense public protests as of May 2008.

5.. There is mounting evidence of serious health problems among humans involved

in cultivation/ handling of GM crops like Bt cotton.

6.. There is considerable evidence of intense morbidity/ higher mortality among

animals feeding on GM fields/ crop products, leading to indirect effects on

human health through food chain.

7.. There is considerable laboratory evidence of serious systemic effects on lab

animals fed on GM foods in controlled studies.

8... There is evidence of retention of GM DNA in human gut bacteria with

potential to contaminate human DNA.

9.. There is evidence that GM crops contaminate non-GM plants by cross

pollination leading to irreversible and progressive damage to biodiversity and

genetic pool of the nation.

10.. There are GRAVE economic and socio-political consequences of unregulated

introduction of GM crops into India. In this connection please peruse the two

documents below. In fact you must do that, to be aware, as a responsible citizen

of India.

11.. Doctors not only have to be prepared to handle the onslaught of the new set

of syndromes related to GM foods, they and their families are themselves at high

risk of the same as there is no system of LABELLING of imported GM foods which

are already on the shelves of food shops in India as per media reports.

 

 

In view of all this, dear doctor, and to know more about the health issues

related to GM foods, please join in on 01June2008 at 10AM at the Wheat

Auditorium, Punjab Agriculture university,Ludhiana , where most prominent

scientists will bring forth the scientific aspects of what we must know about

this new health threat. Respected personalities like Dr LS Chawla, former VC of

Baba Farid University of Health Sciences & President ‘Indian Doctors for Peace

and Development’, will be participating.

 

Further communication will follow.

 

With regards

 

Dr GPI SINGH,

 

PROF & HEAD OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE

 

DMC & HOSPITAL

 

LUDHIANA (Tel 98155 42987) and other Doctors 

 

Think Simply. Think Wisely.

Curb Semantics. Speak the Truth.

 

 

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