ಬಯೋಟೆಕ್ನಾಲಜಿ ರೆಗ್ಯುಲೇಟರಿ ಅಥಾರಿಟಿ ಆಫ್‌ ಇಂಡಿಯಾ ವಿರೋಧಿಸಿ: ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಯವರಿಗೆ ಮಿತ್ರಮಾಧ್ಯಮ ಸಹಿತ ಹಲವು ಸಂಘಟನೆಗಳ ಮನವಿ

ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರವು ಜಾರಿಗೆ ತರಲು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿರುವ ಬಯೋ ಟೆಕ್ನಾಲಜಿ ರೆಗ್ಯಲೇಟರಿ ಅಥಾರಿಟಿ ಆಫ್ ಇಂಡಿಯಾ ಮಸೂದೆಯನ್ನು ವಿರೋಧಿಸಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕವು ಪ್ರಧಾನಮಂತ್ರಿಯವರನ್ನು ಆಗ್ರಹಿಸಿ ಮಿತ್ರಮಾಧ್ಯಮವೂ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಹಲವು ಸಂಘ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳು ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್‌ ೨೩ರಂದು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಡಿ ವಿ ಸದಾನಂದ ಗೌಡರನ್ನು ಭೇಟಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಆಗ್ರಹಿಸಿವೆ. ಮಿತ್ರಮಾಧ್ಯಮದಿಂದ ಬೇಳೂರು ಸುದರ್ಶನ, ಗ್ರೀನ್‌ಪೀಸ್‌ ನಿಂದ ರಾಜೇಶ್‌, ಸ್ವದೇಶಿ ಜಾಗರಣ ಮಂಚದಿಂದ ಶ್ರೀ ಜಗದೀಶ್, ಸಹಜ ಸಮೃದ್ಧಿಯಿಂದ ಕೃಷ್ಣಪ್ರಸಾದ್‌, ಮತ್ತು ಭಾರತೀಯ ಕಿಸಾನ ಸಂಘ ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಗಳು ಈ ನಿಯೋಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಈ ಕುರಿತು ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಯವರಿಗೆ ನೀಡಿದ ಮನವಿ ಪತ್ರವನ್ನು ಗಮನಿಸಿ, ನಿಯೋಗದ ಪ್ರತಿಪಾದನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಆಲಿಸಿದ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಯವರು ಈ ಕುರಿತು ಇಲಾಖೆಯಿಂದ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ತರಿಸಿ ಕ್ರಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಭರವಸೆ ನೀಡಿದರು.

ಈ ಮನವಿಯನ್ನು ಮುಖ್ಯತಃ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಯವರು ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಪತ್ರ ಬರೆಯುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷಿನಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಈ ಮನವಿಯ ಪೂರ್ಣಪಾಠ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ:

Shri D.V. Sadanada Gowda

Honourable Chief Minister, 23^rd Oct 2011

Govt. of Karnataka Bangalore

Vidhana Soudha

Banaglore.

Respected Sir,

Sub: Requesting you to write a letter to honourable prime minister of India strongly opposing the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India [BRAI] Bill, 2011, to safeguard the health of the people and sustainability of our farming from GM crops.

One of the biggest threats that our Indian agriculture faces is the entry of Geneticaly modified (GM )crops. As you are already aware the Union Government is planning to bring about a new regulatory system for Genetically Modified crop approvals in India. The Bill called Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India [BRAI] Bill, 2011, has been listed for tabling in the upcoming winter session of the parliament.

This new, draconian legislation is part of many efforts by the Union government to push GM crops in the country. The Bill proposes to put in place a centralised technocratic body which will take all decisions on the approval of GM crops with absolutely no role for the Indian public or their elected representatives. The new regulatory system is also unconstitutional as it explicitly overrides the powers of the State Governments on matters related to Agriculture and Health.

It was the opposition by 13 state governments along with a cross section of our society that put the Bt Brinjal, the first GM food crop that came up for commercialisation, under a moratorium. It would not be out of place to mention here that you have, rightly, many times in the past voiced your concerns against the GM food and also supported the public sentiment during the BT Brinjal consultation. After almost a decade of debate the existing regulatory system had recently [March 2011] declared that state governments has the decision making role in permitting open air experiments of GM crops. The proposed BRAI revokes this and can override state’s interest which is a serious concern for all of us.

Besides this, instead of increasing the safeguard measures around such risky technologies like Genetic Modification, BRAI lowers the bar for GM crop approvals. Most importantly it has been given powers to override the Right to Information Act thereby withholding information as critical as biosafety studies of GM crops, from common man, in the name of commercial confidential information. These are few of the major anti-people, anti- constitution aspects of the bill and there are much more that experts have pointed out.

As the Chief Minister and as the representative of the people of our state we would urge you to take up the unconstitutional and anti- people nature of BRAI and demand the Union Government to withdraw the bill in its current form and ensure that state governments and the public is consulted before any regulation on GM crops is put in place as it is a question of safety and sustainability of our food and farming.

We also would like to keep state free from the threat of GM crops and immediately stop all GM field trials in Karnataka and not to give NOC for anymore open field trials in the state. This is critical to keep our food and environment safe from potentially dangerous Genetically modified organisms and also to ensure that the growth of organic farming for which your government has become a leader in India.

Looking forward to you kind consideration.

Sincerely yours,

K. Jagadeesh, Secretary, Swadeshi Jagrana Manch,Karnataka

55, 1^st main, Sheshadripuram,Banaglore 560 020 mob: 9740961257

Email: swadeshi.karnataka@gmail.com

G.Krishna Prasad, Convenor, GM Free Karnataka,

No 7, 2 cross,7^th main,Sultanpalya,Bangalore-560 032, mob: 9880862058

Email: gmfreekarnataka@gmail.com. http://gmfreekarnataka.wordpress.com

Beluru Sudarshana

Senior Journalist and founder, Mitramaadhyama (Trust),

2378, 19th Cross, 7th Main,Banashankari II Stage ,Bangalore 560070

mob: 9741976789 ,email: beluru@gmail.com , www.mitramaadhyama.co.in