GM Food: Bigger Imperialist Conspiracy
On that very day, the seed of a poison tree had been sown when the ruling classes of India, in collusion with the imperialist forces, introduced the HYV seeds in our country and destroyed the indigenous seeds, those were being cultivated by our peasants Today, that seed of the poison tree has grown into a huge one. Without our knowledge, they are transferring deadly toxins into our foods, and thereby into our body and killing millions of people by causing incurable diseases to them. Moreover, these toxic materials are destructing the nature permanently. Why these devastations are being inflicted on human beings and nature is amply clear from one comment of famous American diplomat, Henry Kissinger. He famously declared in the 1970's, 'If you control the oil you control the country; if you control food, you control the population.'(http://www.globalresearch.ca/doomsday-seed-vault-in-the-arctic-2/23503). The Imperialists, especially the US imperialists are using these seeds to control the population of under-developed countries so that they can continue their exploitation and domination without any resistance. This is a huge onslaught of the imperialism on the whole human civilization.
It started during the sixties of last century, initially in the name of Green Revolution. During that period. Consultative Group of Integrated Agricultural Research (CGIAR), created with the funds given by Ford Foundation, Rockfeller Foundation and USAID, presented the programme of Green Revolution to the whole World. Following this programme, the use of the HYV seeds had started in our country. These high yielding varieties of crops are fertilizer sensitive crops of short height. As the height of these crops are short, greater amount of the nutrition, absorbed by the plant from the soil and modified through the process of photosynthesis with the help of sunlight, is used to increase the quantity and size of the food grains. Due to this so called Green Revolution, only a few varieties of HYV seeds were cultivated and the cultivation of thousands of indigenous seeds was discontinued. The indigenous seeds vanished completely as those seeds were not cultivated for consecutive years.
At that time, the plea of the imperialists and also of the ruling classes was that the food grain production must be multiplied to feed the humanity. They opined that such increase of food production would not be possible with the indigenous seeds; So HYV seeds must be cultivated, chemical fertilizers also must be used to enhance production? that was their logic at that time. In tune with the imperialists, the ruling classes of our country also forwarded these same logics. A clarion call was given to make Green Revolution successful in the whole country.
Even at that time, several agricultural scientists and research workers exposed the hollowness of the logic of the Government and the imperialists and demanded that even with the indigenous seeds, it would be possible to increase food grain production manifold if these were cultivated properly with care and enthusiasm. But, the Government deliberately ignored these suggestions of those scientists and their voices were ultimately suppressed to benefit the imperialists.
It should also be bear in mind that the production of agricultural goods was controlled by the feudal landlords. They were not interested at all to increase production. Instead they were busy to accumulate wealth by exploiting the peasants through excessive rent and to live luxuriously using that wealth. That was their main work. On the one hand, it was clear that through them it would not be possible to enhance food grain production and on the other it was also clear that the food grain production could be increased even with the indigenous seeds if these were cultivated with proper method, necessary supervision and proper care. So, things would not have been come to such a sorry pass, had the actual cultivators were given the responsibility of agriculture and enhancement of agricultural production by eliminating the landlords, incapable and unnecessary for agriculture and had the scientific research been arranged along those lines.
But, the ruling classes of India, instead of following this path, tried to solve the problem of food grain production within the old, predominantly feudal mode of production by importing HYV seeds as per the wishes of the imperialists. The people of India in general are now suffering from the evil consequences of that path. The imperialists are gradually controlling all the seeds necessary for food grain production. Though there are sufficient numbers of agricultural research centres, seed farms and systems to test the seeds independently in our country, the ruling classes are not giving sufficient importance to them. The pressure from the imperialist countries also matters here.
After following this path for some decades today we have reached at this point where it is clear that though the HYV seeds may have increased food grain production to some extent, these seeds have multiplied the problems of peasants and also of agriculture as a whole. Abundant use of chemical fertilizers are increasing the costs of production by leaps and bounds and also continuously destroying the natural productivity of soil and thereby increasing the possibility of conversion of fertile lands into barren lands. This is a matter of grave concern for the whole humanity. On the other hand, dangerous insecticides, pesticides are being used in enormous quantities to protect the crops from the harmful effects of insects. However, these pesticides are not only destructing the harmful insects but also destroying the beneficial insects, which is permanently damaging the agriculture in many ways. It is being also observed that due to increasing immunity of the insects, the insecticides are becoming ineffective to control the menace of insects. Even after repeated use of the pesticides, it is becoming impossible to protect the crops from the insects. At present, many plant hormones are being used to grow crops excessively and fast. The neat effect of excessive use of pesticides and hormones is the presence of poisonous pesticides and hormones in the food grains and vegetables, which is entering human body through these foods and thereby poisoning the human beings. These poisonous elements are affecting even the peasants who are using these pesticides. Thousands of peasants are getting afflicted with life-threatening diseases like cancer. If the HYV seeds, which have been invented to provide the human race with enough food, actually drive the human race towards extinction, then naturally the question arises ? is the HYV seeds have been invented for the benefit of the human kind or it has been invented only to increase profit of the monopolies of the imperialist countries at the cost of lives of millions of poor people?
The matter does not end here. So long, new seeds were generated by hybridization of different varieties of indigenous seeds, which were known as HYV seeds. In this period, the monopolies involved in production of pesticides, HYV seeds and fertilizers not only reaped huge profits, but made the whole agriculture dependent on them. Another step in this direction is terminator seeds. These terminator seeds are such seeds that produce sterile plants and due to this fact, each year new seeds have to be bought from the seed companies. American monopoly Monsanto invented terminator seeds and for the benefit of Monsanto concerned acts have been modified on the direction of international institutions.
These are the effects of genetic engineering as has been applied in the field of agriculture. From plants to the highest form of life, every living organism has a complex chemical compound called DNA in its cells. In other words, life cannot exist without DNA.. DNA constitutes genes which are the molecular unit of heredity of a living organism and every congenital characteristic of a living organism is determined by its genes. The gene responsible for a certain characteristic in a living organism can be detected and can be replaced by a gene from a different species. Using this genetic engineering the MNC's are manufacturing different types of seeds. For example, a gene of potato has been replaced by a gene of frog to prevent rotting of potato. In this way terminator seeds, verminator seeds, genetically modified (GM) seeds are coming into the market.
The widespread campaigns of the MNC's are that plants from these GM seeds are resistant from the insects and pesticides will not be needed at all to cultivate such crops. The peasants and the crops will become free from the harmful effects of the insects. Organic fertilizers can be used in place of chemical fertilizers and production will be many more times than from the present varieties of seeds. So, by using GM seeds, the peasants will be able to make greater profits, will get relief from pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and harmful effects of the insects will also be reduced. Just think ? these very companies once claimed after introducing HYV seeds that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are very much necessary to increase production. At that time they also claimed that instead of causing any harm, the use of these things will provide the mankind the huge amount of food grains that will be necessary to feed all by enhancing the food grain production manifold. These very multinational companies are now claiming that for the cultivation of GM crops chemical fertilizers and pesticides will not be necessary, the seed itself will enhance production. GM seed has magic wand within itself. Let us scrutinize whether there is any truth to their claim. Firstly, is their claim of increased productivity logical? The productivity of any plant depends on the rate of photo synthesis and on the proportion of food created by photosynthesis being used for production of fruits or seeds. The limits of this have already been achieved by the process of hybridization and selection. So, how much the MNC's may claim that the production will be enhanced by gene replacements, their claim is unscientific, illogical and motivated. Their second claim is their main claim in favour of GM seeds. That claim is that pesticides will not be necessary for the cultivation of GM plants, because these crops have resistance against the insects. For last few decades the peasants are fed up with the infestation of insects. Even increased usage of pest could not protect the crops from the insects. In such a situation, having a seed which does not necessitate use of pesticides but guarantees increased production of crop is something extraordinary. Therefore, such campaign of the multinational seed companies cannot but attract the peasants. In this way, the cotton growers have fell into trap laid by the MNC's.
Bt brinjal seeds are far more dangerous. Bt brinjal plants continuously emit a toxin like chemical. It is correct that due to this toxin like material, insects cannot affect those plants. But this toxin will also pollute the atmosphere surrounding the Bt brijnjal plants and those toxins will get into the human body through inhaling of air. Already the doctors and scientists have cautioned against the effects of this toxin on human body. Not only that, such plants will also drive the toxins in the soil through roots which will contaminate the soil. A number of scientists had introduced those GM seeds inside the body of rats. But, within fifteen days, due to the effects of those seeds, the kidney, lever and pancreas of the rats stopped working properly. When the cotton growers of Andhra Pradesh started cultivation of Bt cottons, it was observed that the cattle and poultry passing by the cotton fields were getting killed. Ultimately, the Animal Husbandry Department of Andhra Pradesh was compelled to announce through public announcement system that the cattle or poultry should not enter the cotton fields.
Even after knowing all these things the Government of our country has given permission for cultivation of GM seeds. The companies have also been allowed to sell their seeds. They could not have done anything otherwise. In 2005, the Government of our country had signed an agreement with the US Government. According to the clauses of that agreement, a committee was formed to look after the agriculture of our country. This committee will decide what crops will be cultivated in India and where it will be cultivated, on which subjects of agriculture research will be carried on, how much water can be used for cultivation etc. Do you know who the members of that committee are? Different organizations like FICCI, ASSOCHAM etc, world's biggest seed company and leading manufacturer of GM seeds, Monsanto of USA, world's biggest retail company Walmart, also of USA, leading food processing company Archer Daniels Midland, also of USA. Control of agriculture of our country is resting in their hands. That is why the Monsanto can declare with authority that all seeds of world will become GM or BT seeds within 2020 A.D. Just think about the controlling power of these companies. Only 10 top seed companies of world now control 67% Global proprietary seed market. The peasants of third world countries only are compelled to buy seeds of `35000 from these companies every year. This is not all. Already huge public opinion has been gathered against the use of GM crops in different countries of Europe. Protesters are voicing their discontentment in the streets. The Governments of different countries have been forced to declare that they would not allow cultivation of such seeds in their countries. They also have informed the countries, which supplies such foods, that they will only allow such foods after elaborate testing, otherwise they will return such foods. Already they have returned a large amount of crops supplied by some countries like Bangladesh. In spite of these facts they are feeding the people of third world countries with such poisonous foods.
Agriculture is a large field of business in the whole world. There is now a huge market of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. The monopolies of the world are engaged in a cut-throat competition to capture this market. And billions of people of the whole world and whole nature are being sacrificed for the profit of these monopolies. Shall we leave for our future generations a world full of poison or we shall leave a poison free, profit free, exploitation free world for them depends on whether we shall be able to build resistance against these imperialist exploiters and also of our own countries.
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