ASHOK B SHARMAThursday , May 22, 2008

New Delhi, May 21 The fourth meeting of parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety which concluded in Bonn in Germany last week (May 12-16, 2008) failed to ensure a global liability regime for the damages likely to be caused by the living modified organisms (LMOs) due to India not taking an assertive position, alleged the convener of Gene Campaign, Suman Sahai.

Gene Campaign was invited to attend the Bonn meeting as observer and Sahai said “we were closely watching the position of different countries which are parties to the Cartagena Protocol.

India is a member of the “like minded” group of 80 countries which has a common stand on demanding a global liability regime and strict implementation of the precautionary principles of the Cartagena Protocol. While Malaysia, The Philippines, Columbia and other countries of the group strongly lobbied for the birth of a global liability regime, Brazil, Japan and Peru opposed the move and as a result the conference could not take a decision, but agreed to discuss in the next meeting, she said.

Indian delegation was led by the ember-secretary of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), Ranjani Warrier. Sahai alleged “India instead of asserting for a global liability regime made an utterly presentation saying that it had implemented the relevant provisions of the Cartagena Protocol.”

She said, “India has no provision for participation of civil society groups or public representatives in the decision making on issues relating to LMOs, which is contrary to Article 23 of the protocol. Though there is a law relating to right to information, the government had on many occasions refused to divulge data on biosafety. The social and economic impact of GM crops has not yet been assessed so far. Government has not yet accommodated precautionary principles relating to GM crops or any mechanism for addressing liability and redress and has not introduced labeling of GM food. Instead it is introducing GM brinjal in the centre of its origin.”

PS: India is neither the center of origin nor center of diversity of brinjals.  Even if it is true, it is a scientific myth that wild and weedy brinjals (that does not exist in India) would be affected by introducing Bt brinjals.  This kind of scientific non-sense is constantly bandied about by this particular NGO.