<div><em>Under RSS pressure, BJP states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and others have not permitted field trials of GM crops, reports. <strong>Suman K Jha</strong></em></div><div> </div><div>With the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh disassociating itself from the September 2 all-India strike call given by 11 other trade unions, and the RSS patting the back of the Narendra Modi government at the recently held coordination meeting, one might have got the impression of a picture-perfect BJP-RSS family, but fresh problems appear to be brewing for the government, with RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) planning a possible stir against the Government.</div><div> </div><div>The SJM is alarmed by the go-ahead given to the field trials of 10 genetically modified (GM) food crops by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) last week.</div><div> </div><div>The GEAC is the top regulatory body in the country that deliberates on and approves the use of genetically modified crops in the country.</div><div> </div><div>In the meeting held last week, GEAC is believed to have given its go-ahead to field trials of 10 GM food crops. While no one in the Environment Ministry is willing to speak on record, Swadeshi Jagran Manch’s Ashwani Mahajan told Businessworld that “eight varieties of GM rice, one variety of GM sugarcane and one variety of GM maize have been approved for field trials in the GEAC’s last week meeting”.</div><div> </div><div>Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar is yet to put his stamp of approval on GEAC’s latest decision.</div><div> </div><div>In the past, Javadekar has said that the march of science cannot be stopped, but the government has met with stiff resistance from the RSS on the issue.</div><div> </div><div>In December 2014, in response to a Rajya Sabha question, Javadekar had said: “There is no scientific evidence to prove that GM Crops would harm soil, human health and environment. GM crops have beneficial traits such as insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, stress tolerance, fungal resistance, disease resistance, drought tolerance, (and they) enhance yield and nutrition that may help in food security”.</div><div> </div><div>SJM’s Mahajan, on the other hand, told Businessworld: “We are thankful to Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar for putting the last decision of GEAC on hold, and we hope that the latest decision of GEAC too will similarly be put on hold. Else, we will be forced to oppose the move and resort to an agitation”.</div><div> </div><div>It’s under RSS pressure that BJP-ruled states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and others have not permitted field trials of GM crops in their states.</div><div> </div><div>Country’s premier agriculture research body, Indian Council for Agricultural Research, in its vision document Vision 2050, released recently, called for research into genetically modified organisms “for enhancing productivity and farmers’ income”.</div><div> </div>
