Peasant leader Rakesh Tikait
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait has written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding a complete ban on genetically modified (GM) seeds in the country. Rakesh Tikait has written a letter to the Prime Minister saying that nowadays, farmers’ sources of income are becoming limited. The cost of crops increases continuously, but farmers do not get a fair price in proportion to the cost. On the other hand, climate change is affecting crops, which is currently completely affecting Rabi crops as well. In such a situation, rural agriculture, which is going through this crisis, is worried about the times to come.
He said that every day information is coming from newspapers and other media that will completely ruin agriculture in the future. In the past, when the country’s governments brought in such seeds, which were likely to cause direct harm to human life and the environment, the Bharatiya Kisan Union stopped field trials of BT cotton and rice in Karnal, Haryana. Jairam Ramesh, who was then Environment Minister in the Congress government, had sought the opinion of farmers’ organizations and the general public on some seeds, in which all of them had opposed such seeds and demanded its ban in the country.
Genetically modified products must undergo strict testing: Rakesh Tikait
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said in the letter that on the one hand, the organizations oppose all such seeds, including genetically modified mustard, but that evidence of the presence of illegal genetically modified (GM) maize was found in the maize grains. imported into the country. who opposes genetically modified crops. GM India has protested and has written a letter to the central government informing it about it. In our country, the amount of fruits and vegetables imported from abroad into the markets is continuously increasing, while during importation the standards and rules applicable to genetically modified crops are not followed. This can be very dangerous in the future.
He said that taking cognizance of all this, the DGFT should organize a meeting with authorities and people related to civil society. So that the regulatory system can be strengthened. Apart from this, the Indian government should increase import control. Especially products from GMO-producing countries such as the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Australia must be subjected to strict testing. Furthermore, no transgenic seeds or plant material should be imported into the country without permission. It should be banned completely.
Rakesh Tikait warned to protest
Rakesh Tikait said that such seeds will cause great damage not only to the environment but also to human life, thus the risk of increasing cancer and skin-related diseases will continue. If the animal eats them as fodder, it will suffer from skin diseases, including infertility. If bees land on plants with transgenic seeds, after a while they will die. In previous years, cases of illegal cultivation of BT brinjal and BT soybean came to light, but no concrete action was taken by the authorities concerned. These incidents have put the country’s biosafety and bioregulation system at risk. The FSSAI, a department of the Government of India, had made GMO-free certificate mandatory for the import of 24 food crops on March 1, 2021, but it must be noted that all studies show that this order could not be implemented. . The illegal entry of transgenic corn into the country may be related to such means, the possibility of which is continually raised.
He warned that, taking all these issues into account, genetically modified seeds should be banned in the country. There should be no field trials of transgenic seeds in the country. If GM seeds are not banned, then the Bharatiya Kisan Union will protest against it across the country.
