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Swadeshi Jagran Manch ticks off Indian Agriculture Ministry over 'misleading' reply in Parliament on herbicide Glyphosate
−− The Manch has reacted strongly to a reply given by the ministry to an unstarred question in Praliament on July 9
Jul. 24, 2019
The Manch has reacted strongly to a reply given by the ministry to an unstarred question in Praliament on July 9.
The question by Member of Parliament Pratima Mondal was on whether Glyphosate only kills weeds or also causes cancer along with other harmful effects, the steps being taken by the government to regulate its use, whether several countries have banned the carcinogenic herbicide, and whether the government intends to ban glyphosate in India.
Tomar read out an officials response denying the same.The Manch has hit back with a strong letter to Minister Tomar.
“The response that was drafted by your officials and read out by you is incorrect and is meant to hide true facts around this deadly chemical called Glyphosate”, a letter sent to Tomar by the Ntaional Co Convenor of the SJM, Ashwani Mahajan says.
SJM, in fact, is planning to take up the issue in a much bigger way. While Mahajan has already piloted a petition on Change.org demanding the ban, the SJM has now scheduled a panel discussion on the issue’ on July 26.
Environmental activist Vanadan Shiva, Kavitha Kuruganti of Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic agriculture, Suman Sahai of the Gene Campaign and JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi will participate in the discussion, ET gathers.
Mahajan, in the detailed communication to Minister Tomar, says that Glyphosate has been categorised as a Probable Human Carcinogen (Group 2A) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and studies in India done by the likes of Indian Toxicological Research Centre (ITRC, Lucknow) also suggested that “glyphosate has tumor promoting potential in skin carcinogenesis and its mechanism seems to be similar to TPA”.
Mahajan said that while officials refer to the Insecticides Act 1968 to respond to the question on regulation of glyphosate in India, they did not reveal that glyphosate is rampantly being used all over the country including on unauthorised and illegally cultivated Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Bt cotton, while registration of glyphosate was for tea plantation and non-cropped area only.
He has also noted that several countries from Austria to Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, middle Eastern nations, Vietnam, Portugal are among those who have banned the use of glyphosate partially or completely and American Courts have awarded millions of dollars in damages in three different cases related to glyphosate use and cancers caused to petitioners.
Mahajan further points out that even in India, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab and Kerala state governments have issued orders to stop the licensing and sales of glyphosate in their respective states.
Mahajan has drawn the minister’s attention to the Insecticides Act 1968 that does not allow state governments to take up prohibition or ban policies on hazardous chemicals and hence puts in implementation hurdles.
“Moreover, such progressive orders are effective only if the Centre orders for a ban throughout the country”, Mahajan has written urging the government to ban the chemical.
“It is also important that officials who are feeding incorrect information to you should be identified. We need to figure out at whose behest are they misleading you and thereby the entire Parliament”, the SJM Co Convenor has cautioned.
Source: The Economic Times
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