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Bt brinjal again stirs the pot

Sharath S. Srivatsa and Raghava M.

Stakeholders voice divisions at last public consultation

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Up in arms: Members of the Campus Front of India and Forum Against Bt Brinjal protesting at the Jnanajyothi Auditorium in Bangalore on Saturday.

BANGALORE: In consonance with the previous six public consultations, Saturday’s consultation here, the last of the nationwide sounding board on the commercialisation of the controversial Bt brinjal, was also marked by protests and frequent interruptions.

Chaired by Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, the consultation witnessed a war of words between stakeholders having divergent views as well as attempts to prevent the speakers airing their opinion.

The consultation was a part of the nationwide exercise by the Ministry, the previous ones being held in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Chandigarh and Hyderabad.

Farmers outnumbered other stakeholders, and Mr. Ramesh allowed them to share their views for nearly 90 minutes of the three-and-a-half hour meet.

For and against

A number of farmers from the cotton-growing belt of north Karnataka, citing their experience with Bt cotton, argued for Bt brinjal; an equal number opposed it, voicing fears of biodiversity contamination and subservience to seed-manufacturing companies.

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar, the first speaker of the day, pointing out there were already 40 brinjal varieties in the State and that there was no need for a Bt avatar, said, “We should be careful while using technology for food crops. It will only help multinational companies increase their profits.”

However, farmers such as N.R. Marigouder of Haveri and others had a contrarian view. “Bt brinjal will give us financial independence and we need it,” Mr. Marigouder said.

The Minister heard about 70 people representing divergent groups; they included the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, KRRS leader K.S. Puttanaiah, Jnanpith award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy, scientists from Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, the University of Agriculture Sciences, Bangalore and Dharwad, and the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, besides a number of farmers, medical practitioners and consumer activists.

Interruptions

Even as the consultation was in progress, a group of slogan-shouting farmers, led by Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha president Maruti Manpade, entered the Jnanajyothi Auditorium where the consultation was under way, adding to the already prevailing chaotic situation.

After a verbal duel, the police bundled them away. “We oppose the monopoly of technology and seeds. We will not allow the cultivation of Bt brinjal in the absence of proper studies,” Mr. Manpade said.

An Ayurveda specialist, who left Mr. Ramesh fuming with his frequent interruptions, was ejected from the venue after he called the Minister an “agent of Monsanto”.

The consultation was again disrupted after Karnataka Organic Mission chairperson S. Ananda wanted to know the reason behind a notification that removed 190 plant species from the Biodiversity Act.

February 10

Bringing the curtain down on the consultation, Mr. Ramesh said he would announce his decision at 12.30 p.m. on February 10. “I cannot ignore public opinion and the decision will be fair. I have to [tread the] fine line between science and society. I am not under any pressure from anybody. I am also aware that the decision will set the pattern of future food crops. I have to be careful. All the factors behind the decision will be made available on the website. Half the country will be happy with my decision and the other half will not be,” he noted.

Protest outside

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters had converged outside the venue. Activists of organisations such as Greenpeace, Campus Front of India, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, MDMK and so on held placards and raised slogans throughout the consultation. Many like-minded organisations took out a procession from the City Railway Station to the venue.

A large posse of police personnel had been deployed at the venue to prevent the situation getting out of hand.

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