Monsanto’s field trials in Karnataka will be reduced to ashes, starting on
Saturday. Two days ago the Minister of Agriculture of Karnataka gave a press
conference where he was forced by the journalists to disclose the three sites
where field trials with Bt cotton are being conducted (for background
information about the trials, see appendix 2 at the bottom).
KRRS activists have already contacted the owners of these fields, to explain
them which action will be taken, and for what reasons, and to let them know
that the KRRS will cover any loses they will suffer. On Saturday the 28th of
November, at midday, thousands of farmers will occupy and burn down the three
fields in front of the cameras, in an open, announced action of civil
disobedience.
These actions will start a campaign of direct action by farmers against
biotechnology, called Operation ‘Cremation Monsanto’, which will not stop
until all the corporate killers like Monsanto, Novartis, Pioneer etc leave the
country. Farmers’ leaders from the states of Maharastra, Gujarat and Madhya
Pradesh (states where Monsanto is also conducting field trials) were yesterday
in Bangalore to prepare the campaign.
The campaign will run under the following slogans:
STOP GENETIC ENGINEERING
NO PATENTS ON LIFE
CREMATE MONSANTO
BURY THE WTO
along with a more specific message for all those who have invested on
Monsanto:
You should rather take your money out before we reduce it to ashes.
We know that stopping biotechnology in India will not be of much help
to us if it continues in other countries, since the threats that it poses do
not stop at the borders. We also think that the kind of actions that will be
going on in India have the potential not only to kick those corporate killers
out
of our country: if we play our cards right at global level and coordinate
our work, these actions can also pose a major challenge to the survival of
these corporations in the stock markets. Who wants to invest in a mountain of
ashes, in offices that are constantly being squatted (and if necessary even
destroyed) by activists? For these reasons, we are making an international
call for direct
action against Monsanto and the rest of the biotech gang. This call for
action will hopefully inspire all the people who are already doing a brilliant
work against biotech, and many others who so far have not been very active on
the issue, to join hands in a quick, effective worldwide effort. This is a
very good moment to target Monsanto, since it has run out of cash in its
megalomaniac attempt to monopolise the life industry in record time. It is
going now through a hard time of layoffs and restructuration in a desperate
effort to survive, since it cannot pay its bills. It is also a good time
because several recent scandals (like the pulping of the Monsanto edition of
The Ecologist, the whole ‘Terminator Technology’ affaire, the illegal
introduction of Bt Cotton in Zimbabwe, etc) have contributed to its profile as
corporate killer, which, being the creators of Vietnam War’s Agent Organe and
rBHG, was already good enough, anyhow.
We are hence making a call to:
· Take direct actions against biotech TNCs, particularly Monsanto (be it
squatting or burning their fields, squatting or destroying their offices, etc)
· Maintain the local or/and national press informed about all the actions
going
on around the world
· Take direct actions at stock exchanges targeting Monsanto, to draw attention
on its state of bankruptcy
We are making this call for action on the line of Peoples’ Global
Action (PGA), a worldwide network of peoples’ movements, in order to emphasize
the political analysis beyond our opposition to biotechnology. This analysis
does not only take environmental concerns into account, and is not limited to
the
defense of food security - it attacks neoliberal globalisation as a whole, the
WTO regime as its most important tool, and the global power structures (G8,
NATO, etc) as the root of all these problems. You will find the complete
political
analysis on the manifesto of the PGA, which you will find in the web page
<http://www.agp.org/www.agp.org
The fact that this call for action takes place on line with PGA also has other
implications:
· We are calling ONLY for non-violent direct actions. Non-violence in this
context means that we should respect all (non-genetically modified) living
beings, including policemen and the people who work for these TNCs * The
campaign will take place in a decentralised manner, and nobody should speak on
behalf of other people involved in the campaign without their consent
(also not on behalf of PGA, of course); however, people are welcome
to report about the actions of others without pretending to represent them.
If you want to be informed of what is going on around the world on
this matter, please send a message to listproc@gn.apc.org with the message
"subscribe pga-ge" on the text body. This way you will be informed about what
is going on in India and in other countries. (The list will be active a few
hours after we send this message).
Please, try not write back to this address, since we will be madly
busy in the next days with the mobilisations. However, if you have good
contacts with international media (CNN, BBC, TV5, etc) and want to help us to
get them here to cover the bonfire at Monsanto’s field please let us know as
soon as possible.
Friendly greetings,
Prof. Nanjundaswamy
President, Karnataka State Farmers Association
********************
Appendix 1: "Police Protection to all American Companies in Bangalore
City",
article appeared in "Samykta Karnataka", November 25th
Police Protection to all American Companies in Bangalore City
Bangalore Nov. 25th
It has come to light that the American Ambassador in Dehli has
written to the Government of the State of Karnataka asking to provide a strong
police protection to all American companies in the city.
Pointing out the previuos repeated attacks on American companies by
"miscreants", the Ambassador has requested the State Government to create an
atmosphere without fear and anxiety for them to work. He has stressed the
need for a special security for companies related to science and technology
and also the their hundreds of foreign companies in the city.
Tight Security for Monsanto
Anticipating attack on the offices of Monsanto in Bangalore, tight
security has been provided from today, top police sources confirmed.
Police have said in their note that they are providing security for the
company owning the Terminator Technology and having the right to sell seeds
which do not germinate for the second time. In a city where most of the TNCs
are based, the present developments have made them to work with fear and
anxiety.
(Translated from Kannada)
*********************
Appendix 2: Monsanto under siege in India, message sent on 23rd
November 1998
**please distribute as widely as possible**
Dear friends,
On Monday the 16th the public was informed by Indian newspapers that Monsanto
(well known in India for the Terminator Technology) has been conducting 40
field trials with genetically manipulated cotton across five Indian states for
the last three months. Monsanto is testing a hybrid cotton seed that has been
genetically engineered to produce the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) enzyme. The
permission granted by the federal government in Delhi pertains the states of
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andrah Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya
Pradesh. Now that peoples’ movements are starting to mobilise on this matter,
the same central government that granted the permission is inviting Monsanto
to leave the country.
Monsanto has formed a joint venture with Mahyco (a 30 years old seed company)
to carry out these field trails. According to the media, Monsanto now owns 26
percent of Mahyco.
In the rest of the message I include some excerpts of the newspaper
coverage of this affaire. We will keep you informed of the
developments in this part of the world, which will most probably include a
number of nonviolent direct actions to burn down the genetically modified
crops and kick Monsanto physically out of the country. We encourage you to do
similar actions all over the world maybe we can make Monsanto’s shareholders
feel our pressure reflected on the value of their stocks.
Friendly greetings,
Prof. Nanjundaswamy
President, Karnataka State Farmers Association
swamy.krrs@aworld.net
‘Curiously though agriculture is a state subject, Karnataka Government seems
unaware of the trials going on in the State. Agriculture Minister C.
Byre Gowda admitted that he had been informend of the ongoing trials but was
unaware of where they were being undertaken in Karnataka or in Maharashtra.’
(The Indian Express, Bangalore edition, cover page, 16th November)
The trials started three months ago although the ‘Ministry of Science
and Technology has admitted that it does not have the requisite regulatoy
regimen to assess the risk of dealing with such transgenic material
for which biosafty guidelines have only now been issued.’ (The Indian Express,
Bangalore edition, cover page, 18th November). In that sense, the University
of Agriculture Science (UAS) Bangalore warned that ‘The genetic modification
involved in geneticlly engineered hybrid seeds is a concealed one that cannot
be ascertaiened with existing regulations of the seed act and quarantine.’
(ibid.) B.R. Hedge, Director of Research at UAS, affirmed that ‘The Indian
Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) was only now starting to look at ways
which regulatory mechnisms should be put in place to check the clandestine
import of such genetic material.
Nevertheless, for
the moment we have nothing ready’ (The Indian Express, Bangalore edition, page
9, 18th November) The KRRS has issued a deadline to the State Government and
Monsanto
to disclose the places where the trials are being conducted and the exact
description of the seeds that are being tested. ‘"Monsanto should reveal
immediately where the trials are being conducted" failing which "direct action
would follow on the company’s office in Malleswaram" he [Prof. Nanjundaswamy]
threatened. "The government can foist 100 cases of attempt to murder [against
us], but we will throw it [Monsanto] out... first from Karnataka, next from
Maharashtra" ... The former professor of law wondered how the State’s
Agriculture Minister could be unaware of the trials.
"The Government cannot continue for three minutes" considering its
irresponsible behaviour, he said’. (The Indian Express, Bangalore edition,
page 4, 20th
November) ‘Monsanto will have to leave the country within a week. Otherwise we
will be forced to throw them out. We have given a day’s ultimatum to the
company
to furnish details about the seed trials undertaken in the state and the
country.’ (Prof. Nanjundasway in The Times of India, Bangalore edition,
page 5 20th November). Although the field trials are testing BT cotton, the
Indian press and politiciancs seem to be rather confused and are mixing up
this issue with the terminator technology, which has been used by opponents of
Monsanto as
an example of the destructive potential of this corporation. However, this
confusion is making it easier for Monsanto to reject any accusation by
denying the use of this technology. Here are some statements about this
issue taken from the last days press. ‘Second and Third World markets are the
main targets for the terminator seed.’ William Phelps, Spokesman, Department
of Agriculture, USA (quoted in The Indian Express, Bangalore edition, cover
page, 18 November)
‘It is not merly the economic factors that threaten the poor
farmers of the world, but it is nature of the Terminator gene itself, since
the
pollen from the crops carrying the Terminator will infect the fields of
farmers who either reject, or cannot afford the technology.’ (UAS, quoted in
The Indian Express, Bangalore edition, cover page, 18 November)
‘This is a terminator of biodiversity, terminator of food security. It is
a damaging technology because pollination pollution can render all
indigenous varieties sterile. This gene will slowly remove all
characteristics of germination from seeds. This means the harvest
seeds cannot be used for sowing during the next seseason. It will also
force seed dependency on farmers who cannot afford to buy seeds.
Monoculture was introduced in the country in 1965 with an aim to
provide food security. When Green Revolution Technology introduced
monoculture it was thought the method would be very effective. Terminatorgene
is
being dubbed as a second Green Revolution Technology. This, too, will prove
ineffective. Genetically modified seeds are polluting the local species. It
will
not solve the food problem, in fact it will terminate food security along with
biodiversity.’
(Prof. Nanjundaswamy, quoted in The Times of India, Bangalore
edition,
page
5, 20th November)
The sincerity of Monsanto can be easily assessed by the usual roguish reply it
gave to the critics: ‘Monsanto will only bring to India, products and
technologies which are consistent with what India wants and its laws
aprove.... Monsanto has not, and will not, bring to India any technology that
will adversely affect the environment, current agricuture practices and force
farmers to use any technology it provides.’ (Monsanto statement quoted in
Deccan Herald, Bangalore edition, page 9, 21th November)
Yesterday the Union Minister for Rural Development, Babagouda Patil, declared
that ‘Monsanto wil be asked to leave India’ (headline, The Times of India,
Bangalore edition, page 5, 23 November).
‘He said that he recieved Information that Monsanto is developing and
conducting field trials on the "terminator gene" seeds at a private farm in
Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district. "I have informed the Prime Minister and
Union Agriculture Minister", he said. He said he knew the complications
arising out of the issue due to WTO stipulations. "But the government will not
compromise on this issue as crores of farmers’ lives will be in danger.
The terminator gene seed will pose a serious threat to Indian agriculture."
The Union cabinet is expected to deliberate on the issue besides initiating
measures to close Monsanto’s buisness operations in the country... He said
that the Center would not hesitate to withdraw from WTO if its provisions
threaten our very existence.’ (The Times of India, Bangalore edition, page 5
23rd November)
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