Kalpetta: Acting in tune with the Supreme Court verdict on July 23, which directed the Centre “to evolve a national policy about Genetically Modified (GM) crops,” Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh, popularly known as the 'Waterman of India', will inaugurate a discussion in the district, organised as part of preparing a draft policy on GM crops, on Sunday.
The programme is being organised by the Anti-Free-Trade Agreement Forum, a platform of farmers’ and activists’ groups, as the Union Government has yet to publicise the verdict and has also been slow in promoting any consultation activities for the draft policy.
While considering the pleas filed by the NGO ‘Gene Campaign’ and others against the environmental release of GM mustard seeds, the Supreme Court bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol directed the government to bring out a policy “in the realm of research, cultivation, trade and commerce in the country.”
The policy “shall be formulated in consultation with all stakeholders such as experts in the field of agriculture, biotechnology, state governments, representatives of farmers etc.” It shall be given due publicity, the verdict said.
The bench also directed the government to depute the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to conduct the national consultation, preferably within four months of the order.
Convener of the Anti-Free-Trade Agreement Forum P T John told Onmanorama that it is the right time for farmers, farm activists and environmental organisations to express their concerns and suggestions regarding GM crops. “The case, which was fought almost for two decades, has been delayed as most of the multinational companies in the agriculture sector, including Monsanto and Kargil, who joined in the petition, tried their best to delay any verdict.
“I am very much afraid that the move to bring out an impartial national policy would be scuttled by the corporate forces, as only a few media houses had published the news of the verdict,” he said, adding that so far, there have been no consolidated efforts to bring out a well-discussed draft policy.”
“We have invited all stakeholders in Wayanad to the programme. A similar one was held earlier in Kozhikode. During these series of discussions, we would be able to bring out the draft of a bio-safety policy, which would be submitted to state and central governments,” John said. “If the central government fails to finalise a policy within the time frame (four months) stipulated by the Supreme Court, we will submit a copy to the court,” he added.
The SC verdict was a split one as both justices B V Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol had divergent opinions on the stance to be taken on the approval given by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), a statutory body under the MoEF&CC and regulator of genetically modified organisms, on October 18, 2022, and the approval of the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11, a unique variety of GM mustard, on October 22, 2022. Both matters have been listed before Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud for setting up an appropriate bench for adjudication.
