T
he genetically modified
mustard is yet again in
the news. This time it has
found favor with the Genetic
Engineering Appraisal
Committee (GEAC), India’s top regulator
for GM crops that has recommended
the commercial use of Dhara Mustard
Hybrid (DMH-11) in a recent submission
made to the environment ministry.
In a meeting held on 11th May, the GEAC
approved the commercial use of GM
mustard after reviewing the report of a
sub-committee constituted to look at the
safety angle. However, it has also put
a number of conditions to the ministry
while recommending its commercial
use. If approved, the GM mustard would
be the first genetically modified direct
food crop to be commercially launched
in India. Until now, the Bt Cotton is the
only GM crop (non-edible) that has been
allowed in India so far.
In a way, it is the repeat of 2009 when in
a similar fashion, the Bt brinjal too had
been favored for release by GEAC but the
then environment minister, Mr Jairam
Ramesh who was under tremendous
pressure from Greenpeace and leftist
activists, decided to hold further
consultations and put a moratorium
on the crop in 2010. It continues even
today.
Therefore, the big question is whether
the current environment chooses a
different line of thinking on this or the
same story gets repeated all over again.
This time, the pressure is more from
the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, a group
that advocates for indigenous products
and considered close to the current
government. While the groups’s ideology
favoring the Indian products is well
known and may be justified also in a
nationalistic sense but experts term this
opposition misplaced, particularly in this
case.
The GM Mustard has been developed
by the Delhi-based scientist, Dr Deepak
Pental who holds the patent over it.
“Entire research has been done in the
Delhi University Laboratory, then how
does it justify the protest against the
product that would benefit farmers
besides bring down dependency on
cooking oil imports,” mentioned a
scientist working in a government
institute based in Bengaluru.
The ball, however, lies in the court of
current environment ministry that has
to do a tightrope walk while deciding the
fate of GM mustard. If approved, it will
open doors for more than 100 GM crops
whose applications are pending before
GEAC.
Is this the history in making?
Almost ten months back in August, 2016,
the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had
called upon three cabinet ministers
and four top bureaucrats to carry out a
thorough and speedy assessment of GM
mustard. The agriculture minister, Mr
Radha Mohan Singh; then environment
minister, Late Mr Anil Dave and the
science and technology minister, Dr
BIOVOICENEWS.COM
53