RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh opposes Narendra Modi government's nod to field trials for more GM crops

Various organisations, including RSS-affiliated Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), have opposed Centre's decision approving field trials of certain varieties of Genetically Modified crops and sought stalling of the move.

Apart from the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, organisations like Organic Farmers' Association and Gujarat Khedut Samaj have requested all the state governments, including Gujarat, to withhold their nod to conducting field trials, saying they are "against the interest of farmers".

The Environment Ministry on Friday gave its approval for field trials of certain varieties of GM crops, including rice, brinjal, chickpea, mustard and cotton, with the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee clearing 15 such proposals.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday, BKS president Maganbhai Patel, Organic Farmers Association of India chief Praful Sajliya and others have termed the decision as a "bonanza to the Indian and multi-national agri business companies." "BJP had promised in its poll manifesto that it will consult farmers before taking any decision on this issue.Despite this, the GEAC has taken this decision which is undemocratic," the statement said.

The organisations alleged that Centre has ignored guidelines and views of the Supreme Court-appointed Technical Experts Committee and those of a Parliamentary Committee on agriculture while approving the decision.

"This decision is taken in a haste and is non-transparent. It is approved despite serious concerns being expressed by various quarters," it said.

"We request the BJP-led NDA government to stall this undemocratic move, which is effected by bypassing Parliament and is aimed at aiding profiteering by big agri businesses," the statement said.

Condemning the GEAC, the statement said, "the decision is taken despite absence of any stringent mechanism in place to ensure the bio-safety, while a strong regulatory body has opened the floodgates for field trials and set in motion these fast-paced developments."

GEAC had said that it had a backlog of about 70 proposals seeking filed trials and has cleared about 60 of those till date (cumulatively from March 2014).

India has so far only allowed commercial growth of BT cotton with the issue of GM crops having been a highly controversial one for the country.