The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Minister calls for nation-wide struggle against GM crops

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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Minister calls for nation-wide struggle against GM crops

Special Correspondent

— Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

PROTEST: A hunger strike observed by the Kerala Agriculture-Environment Collective before the Martyrs’ Column in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday as part of a nation-wide agitation against the government move to permit commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal.

Thiruvananthapuram: Minister for Agriculture Mullakkara Ratnakaran has called for a nation-wide consensus in the struggle against genetically modified crops in India.

Addressing a day-long hunger strike organised by the Kerala Agricultural and Environment Collective before the Martyrs’ Column here to protest against the move by the government of India to permit commercial cultivation of Bt.Brinjal, he said the introduction of GM crops would affect the food sovereignty of the country.

“India does not need GM crops to achieve food security; we only have to ensure that our farmland and farmers are protected,” he said. Millions of hectares of farmland are diverted for other purposes.

Reversing the trend is crucial in the drive for food security, GM crops are not.” The Minister said GM crops would lead to the loss of seed sovereignty.

“Driven by profit motives, global corporates are out to make India a laboratory for GM crops with little regard for health hazards. Protecting farmland and encouraging farmers is the only solution to this problem,” he added.

Poet and activist Sugathakumari, poet O.N.V Kurup and chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board V.S. Vijayan spoke.

The hunger strike was organised as part of a nation-wide agitation against Bt.Brinjal.

The All India Kisan Sabha, DYFI, Sakhi, Thanal, Mahila Samakhya Society, Organic Farmers’ Committee, Ore Bhoomi Ore Jeevan, Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, Abhaya, AIYF, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, Kerala Sthree Vedi, Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation, Solidarity Youth Movement, All India Solidarity Peace Council, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Chilla, Zero Waste Centre, Progressive Forum, SUCI, and the Thiruvananthapuram Jilla Upabhoktru Samithi took part in the hunger strike

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