Vipassana in a prison- Story of Tihar jail

http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/04/3524

Vipassana meditation camps in Tihar jail have tangibly transformed lives and minds: from anger to tolerance, violence to ahimsa, hatred to love. Hardnews interviewed five 'hardcore' accused in jail, who seem to have come a long way from condemnation to inner peace
Shaweta Anand 

 In a heart-to-heart conversation with five prison inmates - two murder convicts, one rapist and two undertrails - in Tihar's Jail No. 4 in Delhi, what struck me most was that there was not one moment during our intense, three-hour session that I felt uncomfortable in their presence. Despite bearing the tag of 'hardcore criminals', they came across as ordinary, peace-loving people, almost fated by destiny as much as their own actions. What followed, as they shared bananas with this reporter, are intensely complex and tragic accounts of their private histories, their prison-life and their unexpected tryst with 'Vipassana'.

Sanjeev Kumar, 39, an MBA, was a well-to-do professional with a multinational company, before his wife committed suicide, leaving behind two infant children. "I was traumatised at the loss of my wife, losing custody of my children and my career, all in a single twist of fate. I was later charged with abetment to suicide," said Kumar, in fluent English, his eyes unable to hide the emotions within. "I had lost my mental equilibrium and that was the peak of negativity and trauma for me. "But after Buddha's method of Vipassana came into my life in Tihar, I realised that I'm on a path of healing and self-discovery, which has shown to me the highest feelings of positivity too. All this is not a sudden change but comes from a process that continues as we practice more." 

Kumar offers voluntary service at the 10-day Vipassana camps held twice every month within the jail premises at a special centre called Dhamma Tihar. Elaborating on the meaning of  Vipassana, he said, "It's a method of silent introspection within, after practicing which one doesn't need 'a second opinion' on the ups and downs in life from anyone else. One becomes truly self-sufficient. I haven't seen my children for two years but I'm able to deal with that peacefully and hold no grudges against my in-laws for putting me through all this. In fact, I am able to trust them with my own children. I could reach this level only after having gone through Vipassana and I feel lucky to have made it here."

Emphasising the need for such a healing facility inside the jail itself, assistant superintendent and Vipassana practitioner Rajinder Kumar said, "Prison environment has high levels of negativity - anxiety, misery, suffering - feelings surrounding the kind of people who live here for years. So inmates pass on this negativity to jail officials, who pass it back to them. It's a vicious circle of violence. Therefore, the need for Vipassana to arrest violence at the level of thoughts before it turns into action." Kumar suggested Vipassana to Kiran Bedi, former inspector general of prisons, in 1993, as part of prison reforms. Since then, it has become a regular feature. 

Thirty-year-old murder convict Brij Kishore was earlier on death penalty that later got reduced to life sentence. "Being a sadhak (Vipassana practitioner), my meditation practice was strong and regular by the time I got produced in court. So when the judge announced death penalty for me, instead of getting angry, I found myself watching my emotions in a detached way and ended up giving the judge mangal maitri (goodwill and compassion) since I knew Vipassana. Although once, my old thought pattern did strike back and I thought of killing the judge too, since I had already killed one person. But I was able to deal with those negative feelings right there and then," Kishore expressed himself in a candid confession.

"Whatever seed one sows today, the future will bear the same kind of fruits. So I believe that no judge has the power to decide what will happen to me in the future despite all his authority, only my own good and bad doings will." Kishore, though at the peak of his youth, spoke like a wise old man, always wearing a smile on his face. He also serves at Dhamma Tihar while going through life sentence patiently, with a sense of purpose. "I have been out on parole twice but it's such a miserable world out there that I yearn to come back to jail, as soon as possible," he said, cryptically.

"We want to provide a platform to all the prisoners so that they can change from inside. If they go out without getting reformed in the real sense, how will we ensure a reduction in crime rates?" said a senior officer in Jail No. 4. "With time," he said, "all the regular practitioners have shown a decrease in levels of aggression and revenge on the one hand and increase in positivity and sewa bhav (desire to serve) on the other." 

This observation has been seconded by a scientific study (1995) on psychological effects of Vipassana done by Dr Kishore Chandiramani, psychiatry teacher at AIIMS, SK Verma, clinical psychology teacher at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, (PGIMR), Chandigarh, and Prof PL Dhar, department of mechanical engineering, IIT, Delhi. The study found that Vipassana practitioners in Tihar showed "...significant improvement in functioning on most psychological parameters studied. There is a considerable reduction in feelings of hostility and helplessness while the sense of hope and well-being gets enhanced." 

Another study (2002) by Prof Amulya Khurana from the department of humanities and social sciences, IIT, and Dhar showed that practicing Vipassana reduced criminal propensity among Tihar inmates compared to those who are not practicing it.

A young lyricist and composer, Chiranjeevi Singh, is still under trial and is spending his days in jail for allegedly causing death of his wife and demanding dowry. "I belong to a very respectable family back home and all of us were wrongly dragged into this mess because my wife committed suicide. I loved her and there is no reason that I could have led her to kill herself. I used to pity myself, sob uncontrollably, skip meals and was generally depressed. I couldn't handle the fact that my parents and siblings, who used to live miles away from us, were also made a part of this misfortune."

When I did a course of Vipassana in the prison, I realised that that was the experience I was looking for all my life "in the outside world". "Meri janmon ki pyaas yahan aakar bujhi." (My thirst of many lifetimes got quenched here). In that sense, I feel lucky to have made it because, otherwise, I wouldn't have known this path at all. This is because earlier all spirituality seemed like a big fraud to me. I used to curse my fate earlier, but now I am healthy, happy and have even put on weight. I give lots of mangal maitri to my wife for leading me to this path, even though she is no more." 

"I owe it to her," he said softly, his voice choked.

 The next insightful encounter was with a 60-year-old journalist. Sumit Sen used to write for established Bengali publications like Ananda Mela, Desh, Suktara etc, before he was arrested. Besides being a prolific writer, Sen also had a side-business. According to him, a female client refused to pay his dues and got him imprisoned, and finally convicted, on charges of rape. "I was anguished at the way my life had shaped. But now, I am not sad because I discovered Vipassana here. I was carrying deep sorrows like the pain of the loss of my mother that I couldn't deal with even years after her death. But after coming to jail and participating in Vipassana, I got rid of that major depression, among other things. The moment I get out, which should be soon, I will make my little grandchildren do the 'Anapana' course," he said, smiling. (Anapana is the first step of Vipassana, which is given to children from 8-18 years in a 2-3 days format. The 10-day residential course is only for adults).

A study on reforming through silence in the context of in prisons by a team of scholars led by Dr Namita Ranganathan, department of education, Delhi University, concluded in 2007 that of all the benefits of Vipassana the inmates' experience, the major ones concern peace of mind, anger control, dealing with evil thoughts, stress and so on.  This especially collaborates with experiences of the last inmate who spoke to Hardnews.

Mahavir is a murder convict facing life penalty, who meditates regularly and volunteers cheerfully to serve at Dhamma Tihar. "I was a modest businessman but a feud ensued between some business parties that led to murder. Extreme anger has always been my problem. Even after conviction, I used to be sent to kasuri ward (sinner's ward) because I used to pick up fights with everyone, including with the jail administration. That ward is a small room in which troublesome inmates are kept locked for 23 hours and let out only for one hour as punishment. But after Vipassana camps, I hardly get angry; everyone can see the difference and they keep complimenting me." 

By some quirk of fate, those who were involved in the conflict with Mahavir, landed in jail too, for some other petty offence. "No matter how much they wanted to provoke me or pick up a fight, I kept giving them mangal maitri and slowly, we became friends," he said.
My final question to him was about God and this is, by far, the best answer I have ever heard: "God is anyone who is able to work on his mind (patterns) and improve it not only for his own good but also for that of the society."
(Some names have been changed to protect identity.)

MAY 2010

Their water woes have only begun...

http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/04/3521
Dear Jalsamvaad members,

Pravin, Arun, and I went for a preliminary field-visit/survey to Harkesh Nagar and Sanjay Colony in Okhla Phase II today morning. We got off at Okhla-tank bus stop (one stop before Apollo hospital) and crossed few railway lines on foot to meet our resource person- Rita- on the other side.

We were told that so many people cross the same railway lines to fetch water early morning from a water treatment plant before duty-time. The sad part is that since trains that stop here don't blow any siren before moving, few people regularly die or get maimed because they're unable to dash out in time…I know it sounds too extreme but it is a fact (see picture below).

Rita tells us about morning-rush across railway lines to get daily water supply

Next we moved towards her home in Harkesh Nagar, which is located in a building that houses 60-70 families, each paying about Rs 1200 as monthly rent. Every family gets a one-room accommodation where electricity metres over-run and ration, which is relatively expensive, has to be purchased from shops suggested by the landlord.

We spoke with one of Rita's neighbours, Sonu, who has migrated from Nepal with his family. He shared with us his work-related experiences (he makes necklaces for a living) and about water issues faced by all residents in general. In many industrial units, he tells us, workers are overworked, get under-paid and don't even get minimum water to drink. Employers provide water in cans on roof-tops so that workers cannot drink water that gets hot during the day and won't be able to pour it over themselves either to beat the heat. Many workers die every year because of extreme working conditions.
Also the problem of expensive medical facilities came up during our discussion with him. He narrated to us an experience where he had to take his daughter to a local private doctor for emergency treatment, who instantly charged him Rs 1700! Rita told us that they sometimes have to foot medical bills by giving up household items.

We then went up to the terrace to get a view of the surrounding industrial area, where most people of Harkesh Nagar are employed. We saw mobile towers, more concrete buildings to accommodate increasing numbers of working class people, including those who work for the upcoming Metro site close-by.

Reliance mobile tower. It is one of many that dot the skyline here.

Rita told us that the Lotus Temple was once visible from her terrace but now, it's just these buildings. We could also see a small forested hill at some distance, where people take about 450-500ml of water to finish morning business. There's no water to wash hands after that or even to take bath daily, forget about drinking it. This seems to be directly related with frequent health problems faced by residents of the colony.

Only hilly/green area left in this concrete jungle

Water in Harkesh Nagar comes from bore wells every few days and each time, people viciously argue for more of it. The poorer one is, the lesser water s/he gets. Overall stress with regard to living in such dire circumstances has left few people psychologically disturbed too with visible manifestations.

Barring the fight over quantity of water, the quality is very poor as well. When people cook daal sometimes, the grains stay uncooked/hard because of the kind of water used. Even tea cannot be made because hard water sours the milk. "Even taking a head-bath using ordinary soap is not possible because hair sticks to each other instead of getting cleaned," said Rita. Also, within 2-3 days, there are black worms that grow in stored water proving that it’s just not fit for human consumption, even if it’s a ‘safe’ colour between white and pale yellow.

Due to extreme swelling in her body, particularly the feet, she told us that she underwent many expensive tests but nothing substantial came out of them. But only after a sample of her drinking water got tested, an AIIMs doctor informed her that dangerously high levels of iron content in it (2100µg instead of the permissible limit of 150µg) is the real reason for her health troubles. He strictly advised her not to drink it without boiling it daily. "It’s not a practical solution," according to Rita because it takes too much time and cooking gas. As of now, she filters water through a cloth and adds a microbe-killing tablet called ‘Halogen’ that her brother gets for her from Bihar. So despite knowing the available water is bad for health, nothing much can be done about it.

Then we moved towards Sanjay Colony to witness chaos around Delhi Jal Board trucks when they come to deliver water every few days. It’s sad but in their own admission, no one recognises anyone when there is so much haste to acquire as much water. We spoke with Pramila, Bablu, Jagdish and Nafiz in this regard. "It is still easier for people who live close to the main road but for those who live inside narrow lanes, by the time they come out, there’s no water left for them," said Pramila.

There’s a thriving business of water containers in the colony. Many others sit down to separate waste cloth pieces of same colour for wages or are ‘kabadiwallahs’ (see pictures). The rest work as casual labourers in industrial units close-by.

It's profitable to sell water cans here

Kabadiwallahs

Sorting out cloth pieces of same colour for daily wages. The dust/cloth particles inhaled during this process causes health problems

Scrambling for water has just begun

Hopefully today's experience will trigger more visits by those concerned if nothing else. I have no idea about the future utility of this 'work' we're generating. All I know is that people who live here face grave injustices and we're indifferent to them at certain levels (as middle class people) because it's not happening to us.
For more photos, click here.

Interview with Monsanto-2

http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/03/3508

“It takes up to $100 million to develop a gene"

Full text of an e-mail interview with Dr KK Narayanan, MD, Metahelix Life Sciences (P) Ltd, a Bangalore-based agri-biotech company, and member of the executive council of Association of Biotechnology led Enterprises. He has led the 'Crop Transformation and Functional Genomics' programme at the Monsanto Research Centre, Bangalore. Narayanan has a PhD from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and a post-doctoral Rockefeller Foundation fellowship. He is member of several committees and central government's advisory bodies including the task force on Agricultural Biotechnology and the Working Group on Bio-safety Regulations.

Q: Is it true that most foods processed in the US have genetically modified corn or soya and that most people don't know anything about what they are eating? Is this aspect of health assessment important? Do you think the government should get more active with that since number of food inspections seem to be reducing drastically with time?

A: Firstly, it is incorrect to say that most people do not know what they are eating. The fact that biotech crops are being cultivated successfully and safely for 13 years now in 25 countries is a testament that people are seeing value in these technologies. Globally the biotech crops grown include soybean, maize, cotton, canola, squash, papaya, alfalfa, sugarbeet, tomato, and sweet pepper, among others. Today, 57 countries including Japan, USA, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines, the European Union, New Zealand and China have granted regulatory approvals for biotech crops for import for food and feed use and for release into the environment since 1996. Every time that a technology is introduced in a country, it undergoes stringent tests by an independent regulatory body. A wide panel of food, plant and scientific experts ensure safe introduction of plant biotechnology for the benefit of the nation.

In India, MOEF's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has put in place a stringent science-based regulatory regime comprising three ministries - ministry of science and technology, environment & forests, and agriculture. The entire regulatory process takes four-seven years and no biotech crops are allowed in the market until they undergo extensive and rigid crop safety assessments, following strict scientific protocols. In fact, as a nation we tested the only approved biotech crop in India - Bt cotton, for seven years prior to its approval in 2002 (the longest globally).

The GEAC is constantly striving to improve the delivery system while ensuring the health of the environment, human beings and animals, in order to consider the grant of commercial approval of biotech food crops; second generation biotech traits in improved cotton hybrids, including efficient weed management technologies; and development of drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant crops; as well as encourage the research and cultivation of other beneficial technologies. The agri-biotech industry will continue to conduct research in key crops, in compliance with India's globally harmonised regulatory protocols.

Q: Have you taken any steps towards public education which is more than just applying small labels on food items? Is there any other way you achieve that end? Better stated, do you think public knowledge about what they're consuming necessary at all, that it is a part of consumer rights?

A: Yes, it is critical that the public is made aware of the facts, science and safety of biotech crops by scientific experts. They need to know that it takes up to US$ 100 million to discover and develop a gene, and five - eight years for testing until it gets launched in the market. Every biotech crop technology undergoes rigorous testing by scientific experts and the nation's independent regulatory bodies.

While some people believe it's a right-to-know issue and all products containing ingredients from biotech-enhanced crops should be labeled; others believe that since there's no difference between biotech-enhanced and non- biotech-enhanced ingredients, labeling shouldn't be required. Since commodity biotech products are equivalent to their conventional counterparts, regulatory authorities around the world have found that foods from biotech crops are as safe as those from conventional crops, and hence do not require to be labeled. It is important that people are informed and aware of the benefits of biotech and how they have been grown and consumed safely in 25 countries since 13 years.

We support the need for labeling if there is a scientific reason for it - for example if the nutritional composition of the biotech-enhanced product is substantially different from a non- biotech-enhanced product. The cost of specialty product marketing and labeling however, should be borne by those who prefer to make the distinction and extract value from the specialty market. We comply with the law wherever we do business and work to cooperate with the industry and consumers to share meaningful information.

Q: Do you have data to prove that yield of GM crops is more than ordinary crops?

A: Biotech crops are being successfully and safely cultivated globally for the past 14 years. Farmers are intelligent businessmen and choose the seeds that provide them with the highest yield, income and ease of cultivation. As a result, many choose biotech-enhanced seeds (from competitors in the private or public sectors) for higher yields and lower input costs. Some farmers choose to plant conventional (non-biotech) seed, and the companies offer those varieties, too.

India's success with Bt cotton is widely acknowledged in India and across the world. Indian farmers are astute determinants of value. Farmers determine value based on quality of yield, fair price, and convenience. Give a farmer higher good quality cotton yields, better returns (fair market price), and more convenience when farming - and he is likely to adopt a new product.

Five million Indian cotton farmers cultivated Bt cotton on over 90 per cent of India's total 225 lakh cotton acres in 2009. Within six years of introduction of Bt cotton, farmers have made India the world's second largest producer and second largest exporter of cotton (after China). According to industry experts, Bt cotton has not just changed farmer lives, but revolutionised cotton production in the country, which has more than doubled to 315 lakh bales in 2008-09 from 136 lakh bales in 2002-03. The total additional value created annually by better Bt cotton seeds is Rs 40,000+ crore per annum for all stakeholders (farmers, ginners, exporters, textile mills, seed industry, and government) of which farmers earn Rs 20,000 crore additional income from higher Bt cotton yields and insecticide savings annually - a direct contribution to our country's GDP. As a result, India's share in the world cotton production is up by 65 per cent (20.6 per cent in 2007-08 from 12.5 per cent in 2001-02).

India's Bt cotton farmers get yields which are up 50 per cent- 100 per cent; earn an average 64 per cent higher income (Rs 8,669) per acre than conventional seed farmers; plus, 87 per cent of Bt cotton farmers enjoyed better lifestyles, 84 per cent increased peace of mind, 72 per cent invested in their children's education, and a significant 67 per cent repaid their long-pending debts (IMRB Survey, 2007). Further, the frequent health concerns such as giddiness, nausea, itching etc. experienced by farmers/farm workers due to higher number of pesticides applications in non-Bt cotton fields, were found to have reduced considerably when cultivating Bt cotton (UAS, Dharwad).

As farmers upgrade to newer technologies, it is evident that they are experiencing immense value from insect-protected Bt cotton which provides better insect protection, higher yields, ease of farming convenience, in addition to better insect resistance management.

HARDNEWS APRIL 2010

(http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/03/3508)

Interview with Monsanto-1

http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/03/3507

"GM food has been safely cultivated and consumed across the world"

 

Hardnews sent some critical questions to Monsanto regarding safety of GM food. This is full text of an exclusive e-mail interview with Monsanto-India's spokesperson. The company refused to name their spokesperson.

Q: Farm animals are naturally grass-eating, which includes multiple sources of nutrition, but now they're consuming a diet rich in GM-corn (in the US) instead. How does that impact or alter their health? Have you done any health monitoring for livestock? Is this aspect of risk assessment important for you?

A: Firstly, biotech crops are being successfully and safely cultivated globally for the past 14 years. Agri-biotech products are studied much more extensively than any other plant product in the world, and provide equal or greater assurance of safety of these products compared to conventional plant varieties.

UN WHO, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Royal Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, French Academy of Medicine, British Medical Association, 25 Nobel laureates (including Norman Borlaug) all concluded that Bt crops are as safe as conventional crops. Billions of meals from or derived from agri-biotech products have been consumed globally. GM food has also been safely cultivated and consumed across the world, including tomato (China), papaya (USA, China), corn (16 countries), and squash and zucchini (USA).

In 2008, biotech corn was cultivated in 16 countries (i.e. two-thirds of the 25-biotech cultivating countries) and approved as safe for import and food-use in over 10 countries. Farmers are cultivating biotech corn in Spain, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Honduras, Philippines, South Africa and Uruguay (ISAAA Report 2008). In addition, biotech corn is approved as safe for import and food-use in the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Russia, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, China, and Mexico.

Farmers around the world have benefited from improved corn technologies. In the Philippines, at least 200,000 small farmers gained from biotech corn in 2008. A socioeconomic impact study using data from 2004-05 crop years, reported that for small farmers, Bt corn could provide an overall income advantage up to 48 per cent (ISAAA Report 2008).

Before any biotech crop is commercialised, it undergoes rigorous government-mandated safety testing and regulatory assessment, spanning multiple years and systematic testing. The safety of these products is reviewed by independent regulatory agencies according to internationally agreed-upon assessment guidelines.

Q: You're thinking about introducing Bollgard II variety of Bt cotton in India after Bollgard I failed, even in your admission. Accepting that the Indian agriculture is labour surplus and the Indian farmer has a small plot of land to till (on an average), won't the insects develop resistance against Bollgard II as well, since all Bt and non-Bt crops are bound to get mixed up in absence of refugia management? Also, every time you introduce a new Bt crop in India, we are left with 'super-pests' that are resistant to it and then we need more pesticide to kill them! What could be a long term solution in the Indian context?

A: Experts in the field of insect resistance have developed sophisticated models that demonstrate a significantly reduced risk of resistance development to a two protein product with different modes of action relative to a single genewith a single mode of action. Across the majority of cotton acres in India, the use of Bollgard II reduces resistance risk by offering two modes of action.

Resistance is expected and could evolve naturally to all pest control products. Insect resistance management strategies - such as the combination of refuges with dual modes of action as present in Bollgard II - when effectively employed, will substantially delay the onset of resistance. The use of effective Insect Resistance Management (IRM) practices (i.e. planting the proper non-Bt refuge) has proven to increase the sustainability of technology for a considerable time.

Bollgard cotton has revolutionised cotton yields in India, reduced insecticide use, and advanced integrated pest management. With these advancements, the worries about super-resistant bollworms have been greatly reduced. Indeed, in the limited geography affected by Cry1Ac resistant pink bollworm, the solution for management of this resistance is already in place in the form of two-protein Bollgard II.

Q: Have you done any tests on soil-health after monocultures of genetically modified crops are grown on large tracts of land for years in the US? Is soil- health important for you?

A: Plant biotechnology products are studied much more extensively than any other plant product, providing equal or greater assurance of safety of these products compared to conventional plant varieties. Rigorous scientific studies are regularly conducted in India and abroad to demonstrate that these technologies are safe for the environment, human beings, animals and agriculture.

Globally, Monsanto conducts over hundreds of studies on our technologies including studies on field performance, weeds, soil degradation, biosafety, toxicity and allergenicity tests; pollen flow study; susceptibility study of American bollworm; socio-economic impacts of Bt cotton, feed studies on chickens, cows, buffaloes, goats, rats, fish; among other studies.

HARDNEWS APRIL 2010
(http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/03/3507)

To B(t) or not to B(t)

http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/03/3509

Gigantic, greedy and powerful multinational companies are using muscle and media power to push through genetically modified food products, backed by parasitic lobbies in India peddling unscientific evidence. Will Jairam Ramesh succumb to this profit cartel?

Shaweta Anand Delhi

Those opposed to GM-food may be happy to see how Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh stopped Bt brinjal's commercial release after public consultations. However, the way the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) draft bill is taking shape, with its draconian clauses to thwart any anti-GM voices, it wouldn't be too surprising if we are found chewing Bt vegetables in the near future, without even knowing it! Quite like the civilian nuclear deal with the United States that went through all kinds of legislative and political convulsions before it was passed in Parliament, the clearance of Bt brinjal is expected to test similar frontiers of Indo-US strategic partnership - this time in the realm of agriculture.

Despite the minister's assurance that the period of six months would be used for getting scientific opinion and a better appreciation of this ticklish issue, there are core issues that must be dealt with before the country faces the same challenge again - to B(t) or not to B(t)?

Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a toxic, soil-based bacteria, which is being genetically engineered into food crops so that they can ward off pest-attacks 'most effectively' as the new toxin-laden plant will kill any pest that dares to feast on it for breakfast. Indeed, US-based agri-giant - Monsanto - has grown from being a chemical company into one of the highest money spinners through transgenic technology, that is, the technology of transferring genes from one kind of organism to another, across different species.

Farm animals (in the US) are largely fed Bt corn and Bt soya and roughly 70-80 per cent of what humans consume has derivatives of the same processed GM-food. "Even though it does not establish a cause and effect relationship, it gives prima facie evidence that there could be a causal relationship between rising consumption of GM-food and rising gastrointestinal disorders as curves for both these observations overlap," says Dr Pushpa Mittra Bhargava, scientist and Supreme Court-appointed nominee to observe functioning of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), ministry of environment and forests. He was speaking at a colloquium on Bt brinjal in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in January, 2010. He was interviewed by Hardnews later.

In his book called First the Seed, Jack Ralph Kloppenburg Jr, of the University of Wisconsin, writes: "Both transnational and the 'genetic research boutiques' are gearing to enter a market for seed that is projected to be $7 billion dollars in US alone by the year 2000." In a 2008 article titled Monsanto's Rich Harvest in the Business Week, author Brain Hindo says: "The company's first-quarter earnings nearly tripled, from $90 million to $256 million... Sales for the period rose 36 per cent to $2.1 billion." This can give a fair idea about how fast this industry is growing.

Narrating the experience of African country Zambia with regard to GM-food, Bhargava says, "US had offered GM-corn to Zambia in the past, which they refused because genetically modified genes would contaminate other crops as well. The country exports many of its non-GM foods to Europe where maximum people prefer it. So Zambians chose to protect their own export market outside while in India, we don't realise that with the different kinds of vegetables we have - some of them with pharmacological properties (karela, drumsticks etc) - we could become leaders of the world's (non-GM) vegetable market in future. But if we let in Bt brinjal now, we will open floodgates for 20 other kinds of GM-vegetables, besides closing our doors to the world vegetable market, forever."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a bilateral deal during his trip to the US in 2005 and said in his speech to the US Congress: "(India's) first green revolution benefited in substantial measure from assistance provided by the US. We are hopeful that the Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture (KIA) will become the harbinger of a second green revolution in our country."

It has to be pointed out that no debate proceeded in the public domain or amidst the policy-making elite in India on such a deal or contours of the second green revolution, if any, says Kavitha Kuruganti of the Kheti Virasat Mission.

"All this talk about the launching of a second green revolution is just a red herring. This deal is essentially about changing Indian regulatory regimes around agriculture so that it suits the American business interests better. Fundamental questions about what is it that we really need to learn from the USA where farming is propped up with huge subsidies; whether there are similarities between American and Indian farming so that we need to learn from them; aren't there huge differences between the way USA and India approach specific issues within agriculture and so on have to be answered first? In fact, the government needs to first state what lessons have been learnt from the first green revolution, before launching a second green revolution," informed Kuruganti, in an interview to Hardnews.

"It is little wonder then that about 35 per cent of our agricultural research focuses on preparing Bt products as a majority of the Indian scientific community continues to chase the Bt gene," says Dr Suman Sahai, senior scientist and convenor, Gene Campaign.

In an analysis offered by Rajeshwari S Raina, the Indo-US collaboration document is based on 'a consideration mechanism' among senior Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) officers, select VCs of state agricultural universities, directors of national institutes, private organisations and other stake holders. There is no mention of consultation with farmers.

"Public doesn't know what GM technology is, so there is limited point in debating the good or bad of it, for instance, at the public consultations (before Ramesh announced moratorium on Bt brinjal)," says Prof KC Bansal, principal scientist, National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, ICAR.

"The basic problem is that Indian scientists or 'experts' feel they know everything, including the practical aspects of agricultural practices that farmers know better about. There is an unfortunate gap between the powerful, privileged scientific community and the farmer," says Prof KJ Mukherjee of the Centre of Biotechnology, JNU.

Sahai noted that if farmers were asked, they could have probably suggested more uses of biotechnology in our country, but alas, our scientists are busy preparing Bt okra, Bt tomato, Bt cauliflower etc, as if all our food security woes will get resolved by hammering out that single toxic Bt gene. Monsanto gets paid a license fees every time there is a sale of any Bt product anywhere in the world.

To top it all, bacterial wilt is the main pest that affects brinjal not shoot and fruit borer to kill which Bt brinjal got made in the first place, she adds. One can clearly see how this business is single-mindedly market-driven and not based on the needs of farmers.

Whether Bt brinjal eventually comes through or not (most probably it will), there are serious issues with our preparedness. Inadequate, long-term testing of GM-food products for assessing their health impact on human beings is one major problem. There are no working labelling laws that could enable consumers to differentiate between GM and non-GM-food. Even if one consumes GM food - knowingly or unknowingly - there are no liability laws that fix responsibility on someone in case of adverse health impact. The biggest concern is regarding correlation of appearance of disease in humans and GM-food consumption in the absence of a post-release monitoring system, which should ideally be in place before introducing GM-food products in the market. Clearly, we are not prepared for consuming GM-food products safely, not just yet. Besides, why should we, if long-term independent tests establish that they are unsafe for human consumption?

A report on health impacts of GM-foods by 'Doctors for Food and Biosafety'- a network of concerned Indian medical professionals - should sound like a wake-up call for a majority of Indian policy makers, agricultural scientists and agri-businessmen, who apparently want to bypass rigorous testing mechanisms and allow GM-food products to enter Indian markets as soon as possible.

In an interview to Hardnews, Dr GPI Singh of the doctors' network says, "There are 65 documented evidences of adverse health effects related to consumption and exposure to GM crops - food or non-food." Their report urges policy makers to utilize the Precautionary Principle approach that mandates rigorous, long-term testing by independent scientific bodies since GM-food once released in the environment cannot be recalled as easily as harmful agro-chemicals like DDT. Once released, the effects of GM crops could stay on for a lengthy time-period. Long-term testing is crucial instead of the 90-day safety trials conducted on rats by Mahyco - the Maharashtra-based Biotech Company that manufactures Bt brinjal.

Apparently, Monsanto claims that it's Mahyco which is involved, when controversy hits it. Incidentally, Monsanto has 26 per cent stake in Mahyco.

Among studies quoted in the doctors' report, crucial is one conducted by Austrian scientists (2008) that found reproductive issues with third and fourth generation mice eating Bt corn. In another study done by Italian scientists (2008), there were alterations in immune reactions in weaning and old mice that were fed Bt maize.

Noted epidemiologist Dr Judy Carman of Institute of Health and Environmental Research, Australia, analysed the food safety evaluation for Bt brinjal as done by Mahyco and found issues with their research methodology. Jairam Ramesh acknowledged Carman's view in his public statement on Bt brinjal after introducing a moratorium on its commercial use in February this year. She is facing trouble in her own country for speaking out against interests of powerful biotech companies.

Carman's report reveals stunning facts that were probably missed by the powerful people and media outfits promoting GM-food: "...if this GM-brinjal comes into the Indian food supply, then every Indian will be eating it, resulting in 1.15 billion Indians exposed to the GM-brinjal. Some of those exposed will be children or the elderly. Some of those exposed will already be ill with cancer, auto-immune problems, heart disease, diabetes, or infectious diseases. Because of the number of people exposed, if GM-brinjal is later found to cause illness, it could cause significant economic and social problems for India. For example, if only 1 in 1,000 of exposed people later gets ill, or has an underlying illness made worse, then 1.15 million Indians would be ill and requiring treatment."

In an exclusive interview with Hardnews, she says: "What happens is that studies conducted by GM companies generally involve very few animals and generally measure things relevant to animal production (eg. meat yield) rather than human health. We need thorough, long-term animal feeding studies that measure things relevant to human health, conducted by people independent of GM companies. But independent researchers have serious problems getting samples of GM-crops for research. For instance, a farmer who buys GM-crops from Monsanto signs a contract with Monsanto that prevents the farmer from doing any research or giving seeds to others to do it. This includes any crop yield, environmental or health research. And GM crops have a strong patent on them. If a GM gene lands in a farmer's crop, it belongs to the GM company. So farmers can find themselves growing GM- contaminated crops without choosing to, because bees have carried GM- containing pollen into their crop, or because the farmer has unknowingly bought contaminated seeds. And then the farmer can be fined by the GM company for growing a GM crop without a licence to do so. This has happened to farmers in other countries."

Emphasising the necessity of long-term testing, Sahai says, "When you insert a gene into a new organism in a fairly aggressive manner, you do not know where that gene will go and sit and how many copies of it will get made... Gene regulation is not something we understand to the fullest extent, but when you disturb genetic material of the organism by adding new genetic material, chances are that its local environment will change and its regulation could change too. Hence the importance of long-term testing for toxicity and allergenicity to check for formation of new proteins."

Further, Bhargava asserts, "the toxic gene might insert itself in a beneficial gene and disturb its function or it might lead to formation of new proteins or deletion of useful ones. Only adequate and rigorous safety testing can resolve that doubt. But GEAC has done none of these tests. It has basically believed the safety tests done by the company!"

In October 2009, the GEAC gave clearance to the release of commercial use of Bt brinjal after few years of introduction of Bt cotton in India. There are company claims that farmers have benefited immensely from rising cotton yields since Bt toxin - the toxic gene to kill pests that ingest it - got introduced in ordinary cotton varieties. Others on the ground, however, give abundant evidence regarding instances of allergies, cattle deaths and farmer suicides due to rising agricultural input costs that includes purchasing relatively expensive Bt cotton seeds every season.

"Where can a farmer go and register a complaint about allergic reactions he developed after exposure to Bt crops? Even the local agricultural officer doesn't know anything about such a redressal mechanism," says Sahai.

Besides health hazards and related socioeconomic costs to the Indian exchequer, recent media reports reveal that pests have become resistant to Bt toxin in four districts of Gujarat, thus defeating the very purpose of introduction of GM crops in the first place. Monsanto now plans to introduce another variety of Bt cotton called Bollgard 2, which will have two toxic genes instead of one to deal with more pests.

Former member of Planning Commission and former Union minister of state for agriculture and water resources, Chowdhary Sompal, says, "In the normal course of nature, pests are bound to develop resistance to pesticides within three to five years of first exposure. So no matter what product Monsanto brings in, pests will soon become resistant to it." Questioning the very idea of farmers' dependency on profit-driven companies, he opposed the 'slow poisoning' caused by toxic Bt gene that gets inserted in the plant. "This inbuilt poison cannot be washed away, unlike externally sprayed pesticides," says Dr Krishen Bir Choudhary, president, Bhartiya Krishak Samaj. He criticised the MNCs for the slow disappearance of our traditional, diverse seed varieties.

Speaking about politics (and profits) of seed ownership, Vijay Jardhari of Beej Bachao Andolan, Uttarakhand, whose organisation has led protracted struggles to preserve indigenous food culture and biodiversity of the Garhwal hills, says that traditionally, Indian farmers could grow many crops that kept everyone relatively healthier since they consumed nutrition from multiple sources. But after the advent of hybrid technology, and GM crops, farmers are being forced to grow monoculture crops since that increases profits for the company. This has health consequences because those living in remote hills or in cities need doctors and medicines since they suffer from lack of basic nutrition due to the non-availability of all seasonal crops. This was not the case before agriculture started getting industrialised and becoming dependent on lab-made agro-inputs.

Dr Satyajit Rath, faculty at the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, feels that the condition of small and marginal farmers is deplorable as "he's slowly getting coerced to buy all kinds of agricultural inputs from the market, including GM-seeds, but cannot sell back his product the same way". The local seed dealer runs the agricultural economy since he is also the creditor.

"This seed dealer gets a commission from the company on every packet of Bt seeds he sells to the farmer, but to conclude that Monsanto is 'evil' and has a calculated design to kill our farmers is incorrect, because all they want to do is increase their sales! This is the how the capitalistic system works anywhere." Most of our ministers and agricultural scientists too belong to the same neo-liberal paradigm, Rath added.

"The main problem," says Mukherjee, "is that risk assessment of GM-foods is not an easy task for scientists anywhere in the world." It is particularly challenging in the Indian context because human life here has little value. So the malnourished majority will also eat (Bt) brinjal because it is a cheap, readily available vegetable. So how can safety tests exclude this aspect, especially keeping in mind their low immunity?

"The poor are exposed to so many toxins regularly that might tend to hide negative effects of Bt toxin present in GM-brinjal. Therefore, safety tests designed for the poor of this country will need a combination of hard sciences and social sciences along with long-term health checks, which is not what our Indian scientists are currently doing, despite one of the world's best agricultural research infrastructure in the world," he added.

Calling their research work as a metaphorical 'aam patta jam patta' (if someone has done research on mango leaves, repeat the same with jamun leaves), Prof Mukherjee urged Indian scientists to rise above from manufacturing profit-driven 'quickies'; instead they should generate genuinely new scientific knowledge that can be useful to millions across the spectrum. "As for what they're doing with Bt now, even a BSc student can do that!" he says.

And Rath was more cryptic: "Scientists are after all government employees. Whatever the government will tell them, they will do."

HARDNEWS APRIL 2010
(http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2010/03/3509)