The story of genetically modified foods doesn't stop at the government's decision to say no to Bt Brinjal. It has taken an extremely curious turn since to touch on questions of freedom of expression and the right to information. For instance, a new draft bill, the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill (BRAB), would outlaw all criticism of genetically modified products.
Should Bt brinjal be banned for cultivation? Those who advocate this are closing off the non-pesticide option and arguing in favour of pesticide-based production of brinjal.
The use of Bt brinjal could be allowed on a carefully controlled basis, limiting as much as possible the spread of the Bt-gene.
In days of yore, the Mararikulam brinjal was much favoured by the royal families of Travancore and Amabalapuzha in Kerala. Slender, long and green, this variety has been grown in Mararikulam on the Kerala coast for centuries. The village would supply its choicest brinjals to royalty.
A TUSSLE is on in the government over where to park the National Biotechnology Authority of India. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said that his department or the health ministry were better suited to be the nodal agency for the autonomous authority.
PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh, who normally opts for the path of least resistance, decided to go along with the view that the introduction of Bt brinjal should wait till safety tests are completed and consensus developed on the crop.
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has cast himself as a lonely crusader for the environmental cause within the government, with no support from any quarter except the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson.
