RSS affiliate SJM opposes govt approval for GM mustard

RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has asked the central government to keep in abeyance the approval given by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to cultivate a genetically modified (GM) mustard crop in India.

In a letter to Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, SJM alleged that the GM crop that received GEAC approval is not a locally developed GM crop but a product developed out of patented technology of German MNC Bayer Crop Science. The organisation also argued that the particular GM mustard has no yield advantage compared to indigenous hybrids.

“The claim that GM Mustard is Swadeshi and has been developed in India is completely untrue. We would like to bring to your notice that in 2002, Proagro Seed Company (Bayer’s subsidiary), applied for commercial approval for a similar construct that Prof. Pental and his team are now promoting as HT Mustard DMH 11. Bayer’s application at that point in time was turned down because the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said that their field trials did not give evidence of superior yield. As is well known the hybridisation of GM Mustard is achieved by means of the two genes barnase and barstar, derived from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The bar-barstar-barnase gene is a patented technology of Bayer Crop Science”, the letter, written by Ashwani Mahajan, National Co Convenor, SJM said.

According to the organisation, data from Rapeseed Mustard Research (DRMR), Bharatpur shows that the claim of Prof. Deepak Pantel that his GM mustard would increase yield by 26% is deceptive and misleading. “Existing non-GM varieties of mustard give at least 25% more yield than what is claimed in Prof. Pental's GM mustard, the letter said.

The GEAC had on October 18th cleared the GM mustard for cultivation in India. SJM pointed out that the particular crop had first received GEAC clearance in 2017, but the then Union Environment Minister had intervened to keep in abeyance the operationalisation of the regulatory clearance until another review. “Nothing has changed from May 2017 when GEAC’s green signal for this unsafe GM mustard had to be stopped by the Government of India, keeping in mind various concerns and serious issues pertaining to this GM mustard. Not a single additional test has been done, nor a single question has been answered scientifically about the safety or efficacy or need of this GM mustard”, SJM alleged.