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Dehradun, June 19, 2006: In a meeting on June 18th 2006 with representatives of
Coalition for GM-Free India including the President of Bhartiya Kissan Union [BKU]
Chowdhary Mahinder Singh Tikait, the Chief Minister of Uttaranchal Mr Narain
Dutt Tiwari assured that there would no permission given to GM seeds in
Uttaranchal. This follows the call given by BKU and other members of Coalition
for GM-Free India to make Uttaranchal a "GM-Free state".
Earlier in the day, Chowdhary Tikait and thousands of BKU members started
marching towards Dehradun, the state capital from Haridwar, to secure their
demand for a GM-Free state. The Chief Minister invited a delegation to a meeting
on the issue later in the day.
 Leading a delegation of the "Kissan Kumbh", Mr Tikait
met the Chief Minister at Dehradun. Complimenting Mr Tiwari for his 'vision' to
declare Uttaranchal as an organic state, Mr Tikait said that the organic status
can only be preserved if genetically modified crops and foods are not allowed in
the hilly state. "We are glad that the Chief Minister has seen through the
design of the GM industry, which is keen to contaminate the environment and is
not at all concerned about the grave risks that such crops and foods pose to
human and animal health."
The Chief Minister was appraised about the likely introduction of Bt Brinjal
through large scale trials and the serious health and environmental concerns it
poses for the country. The Chief Minister sought more information on all such
crops from the delegation.
The annual convention "Kissan Kumbh" of Bhartiya Kissan
Union which ended at Haridwar on June 18th 2006 resolved that India does not
need GM crops. 30,000 farmers have congregated for the 3-day Kissan
Kumbh from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
Farmers attending the convention decided that they will send their protests to
the Prime Minister through the district administration on July 10. There would
be a massive education campaign launched with farmers in all villages about the
various hazards of GM crops including Bt Brinjal, it was decided. |