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| Shaming India, killing science: CIFA | | ‘Sinister plot to make the country dependent on Food Imports’ | | New Delhi | 30th Aug 06
In the interest of the protecting the Indian agriculture development Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) would like to send a strong appeal to the Government of India to urgently enact laws to reign in all the cheap publicity seeking activists and NGO's including the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), a press release issued by the consortium today said.
It added, “The Government of India, agro processing industry and the scientific community have been made a laughing stock across the world, by suggesting that testing for pesticide residues be done on finished food products rather than the global practice of doing it at the ingredient level- The entire argument has demonstrated the lack of scientific temper and reason in our country. Any attempt to reason out and critique the CSE report by eminent residue analysts has been rubbished.”
Not stopping here, even the Union Health Minister has not been spared and has been called names like - being "Shameful". In a democracy, such conduct is not only reprehensible but also unpardonable. How can the CSE board Chairperson -Dr M S Swaminathan allow CSE to continue murdering science, all in the name of public good? He also needs to be reminded that some of the residue analysts who are being rubbished, includes his former colleagues in Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He also need to clarify to public whether agriculture can sustain without pesticides usage?
Moving beyond the realms of exhibiting public decency, what makes matters worse is that the needless controversy has brought the entire food chain of India under close scrutiny of the world community. Time is not far when the ripple effect of this issue is bound to be felt by the poor Indian fanner, when US and the EU countries start banning agricultural exports out of India -obvious excuse being the "Supposed" contamination of the Indian food chain.
India ranks number one in the world in deaths due to diarrhea and tuberculosis. Both are caused by poor environmental hygiene. Why not CSE, the so called self appointed guardians of public health, do some thing on this issue. Have they ever undertaken any project to highlight the supply of dirty drinking water by the panchayaths to the rural people.
It seems environmental NGOs have a hidden agenda to destabilize Indian agriculture and jeopardize our food sovereignty."
They seems to be determined to tarnish the image of Indian farmers in international arena specially at a time when Indian agriculture is trying hard to gain increased access to international markets.
It is a known fact, use of agrochemicals is 500% to 1000% more in USA & EU than in India. Curiously these countries give money to Indian environmentalists to protest against use of agro chemicals by the Indian farmer. Time has now come for the media and the public at large to examine the source of funding of these so called NGO's and also read through their anti farmer activities.
The pesticide in soft drinks has been purposely made a hot topic for discussion amongst the public at large. But the experts, be it the scientists and the academicians, both outside and within the government are all very clear on this "Non Issue". Yet, the debate is continuously being fueled by those vested interest groups whose awareness on the issue of pesticide is extremely low. This is being deliberately done with the single purpose to eventually hit the interest of the poor farmer, who relies on the use of pesticides to save there crops.
Over Rs. 50,000 crores valued crops are lost every year by poor Indian farmers due to pests and disease. The sinister plan is to discredit the use of pesticides in farming practices, thereby exposing the crops of the Indian farmer to the risk of pest and diseases. All this would ultimately lead to the country becoming dependent on the import of food grains-Article 51 A (h) of Indian Constitution says that" it shall be the fundamentals duty of every Citizens to have scientific temper. However, in the past few years it was observed few NGOs who have no legal or statutory authority are publishing misleading reports.
These NGOs don't represents the farming community nor do they have stake in agriculture. These misleading reports are causing confusion amongst the farming community. They are also causing immense damage to reputation of Indian farmers competence there by loss in the international market. CIFA
proposes to initiate further constitutional and legal action in addition to building public pressure against these activities. |
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