INDIA: Volunteers stage protest march against GM crops

Volunteers stage protest march against GM crops

Volunteers perform a skit at Marina in Chennai on Saturday to protest against GM crops and Monsanto’s forays into corporatising agriculture in the country. — DC

Chennai: Volunteers of Safe Food Alliance and around 100 Chennaiites from various walks of life on Saturday took part in a protest ma­rch against genetically modified (GM) crops and the corporatisation of food and farming systems in the country.

The protest was a part of larger worldwide protests by ‘March against Mon­santo worldwide’, a glo­bal-level network of safe food activists. The protests were organised in more than 400 cities in the world on the occasion of World Food Day on October 16. Citizens of Chennai, Tiruvarur, Er­ode and Coimbatore participated.

V. R. Ananthoo, co-ordinator for Safe Food Alli­ance in Chennai, says, “We are marching against Monsanto here today. The Central government is projecting it as a corporation that will save poor farmers. Monsanto has a record of polluting natural reso­urces and falsifying safety reports.

The government’s partnership with such corporates will jeopardise the seed sovereignty of farmers.” Vettavalam Manikandan, state president of the Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Ass­o­ciation, says, “The protest was against Monsanto, but the message is to all such corporates. We will not allow any open airfield trials of GM food crops in the state.”

Ananthoo adds, “The State government has been supportive of our stand and we expect the Centre too to follow suit.” DC

INDIA: Rallying against Monsanto

Rallying against Monsanto in Thiruvananthapuram

Participants take out ‘March against Monsanto,’ a protest event organised by Thanal and Indus Cycling Company, on Manaveeyam Road on Saturday. Photo: S. Gopakumar

‘March against Monsanto,’ a global event to coincide with the World Food Day, was organised in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. The event was aimed at spreading awareness about the ‘negative impact of the multinational giant’ which has interests in genetically modified crops, seeds, and fertilizers.

More than 400 cities spread across 50 countries played host to the event.

The programmes in the city were organised by Thanal and Indus Cycling Company. The programmes included a 12-hour cycle sathyagraha.

Simultaneously, a 12-hour non-stop musical protest led by singer Ganesh Kunjan, and members of Abhinaya, a city-based theatre group, was held.

Students from Fine Arts College led by Eldo Pachilakkadan and Rajesh made paintings depicting the impact of genetic modification on agriculture.

The cycling team also visited various parts of the city to spreading the message. The Hindu