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STATES: GUJARAT

Seeds of Pique

Genetically modified cotton sparks a row between the state Government and the farmers

With the war against terrorism in full swing, the threat of a counter-biological and genetic warfare is becoming more and more real. In the farmlands of Gujarat, there is a full-fledged genetic battle raging. At its core is India's first genetically modified seed, infamously called BT Cotton. Ushering in a revolution of sorts, the magic seed is eliminating the menace of the bollworm, besides increasing yield. But it is illegal to grow this crop as the Centre has not cleared it. All genetically modified crops need a safety clearance from regulatory bodies involving several ministries. The Government's objection was that it needed further tests to ascertain the safety of the environment in all seasons and all land-types, since BT gene is coded for pest-resistance.

The controversy took an ugly turn last fortnight when the Centre directed the Gujarat Government to destroy BT Cotton crop worth over Rs 100 crore in the central, north and southern parts of the state. It led to serious charges from the farmers that Delhi was succumbing to pressure from the powerful pesticide manufacturers' lobby, which was set to suffer big losses as BT Cotton is pest-resistant. The Gujarat Government at first directed its attack on Navbharat Seeds, the manufacturer of the seed-charging it with marketing BT Cotton without prior permission. Acting on the Centre's directive, state Agriculture Minister Purushottam Rupala announced that BT Cotton yields would be destroyed and farmers compensated with money recovered from Navbharat. But within two days, he changed his mind. "The latest reports indicate that the seed is a big draw with farmers and fears about it rendering the soil infertile are unfounded," he told the press awkwardly.

"The clout of the pesticides lobby is responsible for the campaign against the seed.." BIPN DESAI, farmer

That BT Cotton had boiled down to a clash of interests was no secret. Even the Gujarat Government's volte-face was a result of vocal protests by the farmers. Led by veterans like Sharad Joshi and Bipin Desai, farmers threatened the Government with dire consequences if it went ahead with its plans to destroy their crop. Even Union Textiles Minister and MP from Surat Kashiram Rana threw his weight behind their cause. "Clearly, it is the clout of the strong pesticides lobby which is responsible for the campaign against the seed," says Desai. Farmers who have used BT Cotton swear by its virtues and are willing to prove their point even in court. A group of 25 farmers have filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court against the Centre's move. Vinodbhai Patel, a 55-year-old cotton farmer of Nandol village in Gandhinagar district, tried the seed on three of the 20 acres of land he owns. The yield was 10 quintals of high quality cotton per acre, as against 1.20 quintals on the remaining land where other hybrid seeds were sown. "The BT seed has come as a blessing to the debt-ridden farmer," he says. According to Dr Kalidas Patel, former principal of the Gujarat Agriculture University College at Anand, the seed has been time-tested in the US without any adverse effects.

The farmers allege the Centre's decision was largely the result of the pressure mounted by influential pesticide manufacturers. Currently, 40 per cent of the Rs 2,700 crore worth of pesticides produced in the country goes into protecting cotton crop. Naturally, the widespread use of BT Cotton, they point out, would be detrimental to the growth of pesticide companies. The pesticide manufacturers, on their part, say "the charges are not only unfounded but ridiculous".

It is now for the Union Government to convince the farmers about the risks. Despite the raging controversy, it is yet to withdraw its directive on the destruction of the BT crop. But unless it scientifically validates its arguments against the seed, the matter could get out of hand. Gujarat's cotton farmers are waiting.

—Uday Mahurkar

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