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Friday, January 29, 2010

Fast planned against Bt brinjal

Express News Service
First Published : 29 Jan 2010 06:25:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 29 Jan 2010 10:22:42 AM IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On Sunday, at the Martyrs Square in the city, environmentalists, farmers, political and cultural leaders in the State will go on a fast to stop the Ministry of Environment and Forests from giving permission for commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal. The fast will be inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran at 10.30 a.m.

 Literary and cultural personalities, including O.N.V. Kurup, Sugathakumari, Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri and D. Vinayachandran,  among others, will join the fast. Songs of national integration will be performed by the members of MBS Choir Music at 5 p.m., followed by a candle-light oath-taking ceremony.

 Citizens, who are concerned about the environment and biodiversity,  are expected to join in the programme organised by the Kerala Agriculture Environment Collective.

 India’s regulatory body for genetic engineering, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), had approved Bt brinjal for commercial cultivation and the Central Government is now holding national consultations before the final clearance. January 30, the day that took the life of Mahatma Gandhi, is also the last day of the official national consultations on Bt brinjal being held in seven states across the country. All the consultations till now have seen  stiff resistance at several locations.

 Those citizens, who cannot take a fast, can show their solidarity with the cause by lighting a candle. The All-India Kissan Sabha, AIYF, Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad, Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation, Jaiva Karshaka Samithi, AIPSO, Progressive Forum, PUCL, KSSF, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Solidarity Students Movement, Thanal, Abhaya, SEWA, SAKHI, OEOL, Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society, Kerala Sthree Vedi, Zero Waste Centre and Chilla are among the other organisations that are joining the fast.

 The one-day fast call made by the environmental and farming organisations across the country to stop Bt brinjal and to protect the food sovereignty of the country is being widely taken up by organisations and individuals across the State. In Kerala, one-day fasts are being organised on Sunday in at least 10 districts.

 A badge that can be used during the fast can be downloaded from www.thanal.co.in. Details about the fast can be had from phone number  9995358205.

trivandrum@expressbuzz.com

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