All data on GM mustard should be made public, says French scientist

The people of India should ask for all data on Gernetically Modified (GM) mustard to be made public, said French molecular biologist and activist Gilles-Eric Seralini here on Friday.

"I am shocked that they are about to commercialise GM mustard and yet no one has asked the university for blood analysis or the feeding studies," Seralini, an activist on genetically modified organisms and foods, said at a Round Table conference on GM mustard.

He said that GM crops and herbicides have long term health effects and a three month study is not enough.

"I strongly urge the people of India to be scientific and ask for all data to be made public," he said at the conference organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) to present a "united front against the unscientific bio-safety report" on GM mustard.

Recently, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) - the regulator under the Ministry of Environment that can clear the GM mustard for commercial use in India - had sought public comments on safety aspects on the DMH-11 mustard variety developed by the Delhi University's Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants.

Various aspects of the GM mustard use ranging from health, agronomical, socio-economic and intellectual property rights were discussed in detail at the conference, and the speakers took exception to the claims made by geneticist Deepak Pental about the GM mustard.

Pental, a former Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, led the team that developed the DMH-11 which is resistant to a weed killer brand-named Basta.

"Deepak Pental should tell us who owns the patent on the bar/basta/barnase gene system? We know it is Bayer. We should stop this charade and demand all data on the patents be made public," said environmentalist Vandana Shiva.

SJM's National Convener Ashwani Mahajan said: "We stand to protect India and all her traditions especially those of her farmers, her villages. SJM has fought foreign imperialism and corporate propaganda and this meeting is a platform for all discussions on the key aspects of GM mustard and spread awareness among people of India about the real dangers of GM mustard."

The other key speakers included senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan and Bhartiya Krishak Samaj President Krishan Bir Chaudhary.

--IANS

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