8-Misc: KRRS activists destroy Bt cotton crop in India

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TITLE:  KRRS activists destroy Bt cotton crop
SOURCE: The Hindu (Shimoga Edition), India
        sent by KRRS, chukki@bgl.vsnl.net.in
DATE:   January 3, 2001

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KRRS activists destroy Bt cotton crop

Shimoga, Jan.3. As planned, the farmers here on Wednesday, destroyed the 
trial Bt Cotton crop grown in Savalanga, 20 km from here, in the presence 
of a police posse, as part of their struggle against the use of the 
genetically-modified seeds.

Volunteers of the newly-formed 'Hasiru Sene' (Green Brigade) - the youth 
wing of the KRRS - rushed to the field belonging to a farmer, 
Gangadharaiah, on the Savalanga - Shikaripur Road this evening and uprooted 
the Bt cotton crop and destroyed it by setting it on fire. Though tension 
prevailed for some time until the operation was over, no arrests were made, 
according to reports received here. The police who were clearly 
outnumbered, watched the incident helplessly.

It was stated that even as the leaders of the KRRS, including the 
President, Prof. Nanjundaswamy and the President of the Bharatiya Kisan 
Union (BKU), Choudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait, were addressing an impromptu 
public meeting from a makeshift platform on the trailer of a tractor, a 
group of 100 volunteers sporting green towels raised slogans and rushed to 
the field, taking the police force by surprice, and destroyed the Bt 
cotton. They were followed by the farmer leaders including Prof. M.D. 
Nanjundaswamy and Choudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait, who watched the 
destruction of the genetically-modified cotton species against which the 
KRRS has been waging a battle to stop the application of the biotechnology 
to agriculture on the plea it is harmful to the environment and does 
incalculable damage to traditional and indigenous agricultural methods.

When contacted, Gangadharaiah said he was not unhappy over the incident and 
had no regrets as he had not grown the Bt cotton trial crop. He said it was 
MAHYCO - a seed manufacturing company - that had raised it on a 10-gunta 
plot on his farm.He was not aware of what had been grown on it and denied 
any knowledge about the new cotton species.

The pubilc meeting concluded after the destruction of the Bt cotton crop 
was over with the KRRS leaders asserting that they would not allow the 
introduction of genetically-modified seeds as it had been conclusively 
proved the world over that they were dangerous to the environment as well 
as to time tested traditional farm practices.



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