Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 15:57:25 +0530
From: "PROF. NANJUNDA SWAMY" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Dear friends,
"Cremation Monsanto", the campaign launched by the KRRS in Karnataka
(India) against Monsanto's field trials on BT
cotton is spreading all over the country as many other farmers
organisations are taking up the struggle. Following the
first action in Karnataka, where a Bt cotton field was reduced to ashes,
cremations have gone on also in the state of
Andhra Pradesh. Activists of Rytu Sangham (AP Farmers Association) also
stormed Monsanto's office in that state's
capital, Hyderabad, on Wedenesday the 1st of December. As a result of
all these actions and the rising concern among
farmers about genetically modified crops, the Andhra Pradesh state
government has asked the Mahyco Monsanto
Biotech (India) pvt Ltd to stop all its field trials being conducted in
seven districts of the state. Farmers and scientists from
Andhra Pradesh have convened a meeting in Anantapur on 13th December to
intensify the movement.
The second cremation in Karnataka took place in the Bannikallu village,
Bellary district, on the 2nd December. The action
took place under heavy police surveillence, despite the fact that the
farmer agreed with the action and took part on it. The
repression measures induced by Monsanto are slowly being tightened: the
biotechnology giant has asked the Bangalore
court to pass "an order of temporary injunction restraining the
Defendents [KRRS] by its President, its servants, agents
and subordinates, from demonstrating, agitating, making inflammatory
speeches or having hartals etc. within 500
meters of the Plantiff's [Monsanto's] R&D facility as well as the Indian
Institute of Science facility" (quoted from
Monsanto's application).
All these events are being broadly covered by Indian mass media. At the
end of the message you will find some brief
excerpts from the press.
The lists [EMAIL PROTECTED] (for information in English) and
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (for information in Spanish) are already
set up. We are sorry for the delay, there were difficulties with the
communication between India and Britain (where the
lists are based). At the very end of the message you will find a
description of the list. We will NOT send messages to you
anymore, if you want to be updated on these and other actions against
biotechnology, please suscribe to the list.
Friendly greetings,
Prof. Nanjundaswamy
"Farmers group storms Mahyco office in Hyderabad"
"Scores of activists belonging to Andhra Pradesh Rytu Sangham stormed
the regional office of Mahyco Company
(Monsanto) at Abids in the city on Monday to protest against efforts to
introduce genetically modified seed. Mahyco is
the joint venture partener of Monsanto."
THE INDIAN EXPRESS, Bangalore Edition, Wednesday 2nd December 1998.
"AP asks Monsanto to stop trials in cotton fields".
"Reacting quickly to widespread fears among farmers over the reported
trials of Terminator gene technology in cotton
fields in the state, the Andhra Pradesh government has asked the Mahyco
Monsanto Biotech to stop all its field trials
being conducted in the 7 places in seven districts of the state." DECCAN
HERALD, Bangalore Edition, Friday 4th December, 1998.
"KRRS "cremates" cotton in Bellary".
Bangalore." Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, as part of
their campaign "Cremation Monsanto", burnt half
an acre of trial crop of the multinational Monsanto at Bannikallu
village in Bellary district on Wednesday.
Over 200 activists of the organisation under the leadership of Prof. M
D. Najundaswamy went to the farm at Bannikallu 60
kms. from Bellary, removed the bollgard cotton plants from the plot and
burnt it, shouting slogans against Monsanto"
THE TIMES OF INDIA, Bangalore Edition, Thursday 7th December 1998.
