> > Dear Listers, I thought you might like to read the following: > > >Dear friends, > > > >Monsanto's field trials in Karnataka will be reduced to > ashes, starting on > >Saturday. Two days ago the Minister of Agriculture of > Karnataka gave a press > >conference where he was forced by the journalists to > disclose the three sites > >where field trials with Bt cotton are being conducted (for > background > >information about the trials, see appendix 2 at the > bottom). KRRS activists > >have already contacted the owners of these fields, to > explain them which > >action > >will be taken, and for what reasons, and to let them know > that the KRRS will > >cover any loses they will suffer. On Saturday the 28th of > November, at midday, > >thousands of farmers will occupy and burn down the three > fields in front of > >the > >cameras, in an open, announced action of civil > disobedience. > > > >These actions will start a campaign of direct action by > farmers against > >biotechnology, called Operation 'Cremation Monsanto', which > will not stop > >until > >all the corporate killers like Monsanto, Novartis, Pioneer > etc leave the > >country. Farmers' leaders from the states of Maharastra, > Gujarat and Madhya > >Pradesh (states where Monsanto is also conducting field > trials) were yesterday > >in Bangalore to prepare the campaign. > > > >The campaign will run under the following slogans: > > > >STOP GENETIC ENGINEERING > >NO PATENTS ON LIFE > >CREMATE MONSANTO > >BURY THE WTO > > > >along with a more specific message for all those who have > invested on > >Monsanto: > >You should rather take your money out before we reduce it > to ashes. > > > >We know that stopping biotechnology in India will not be of > much help to us if > >it continues in other countries, since the threats that it > poses do not > >stop at > >the borders. We also think that the kind of actions that > will be going on in > >India have the potential not only to kick those corporate > killers out of our > >country: if we play our cards right at global level and > coordinate our work, > >these actions can also pose a major challenge to the > survival of these > >corporations in the stock markets. Who wants to invest in a > mountain of ashes, > >in offices that are constantly being squatted (and if > necessary even > >destroyed) > >by activists? > > > >For these reasons, we are making an international call for > direct action > >against Monsanto and the rest of the biotech gang. This > call for action will > >hopefully inspire all the people who are already doing a > brilliant work > >against > >biotech, and many others who so far have not been very > active on the issue, to > >join hands in a quick, effective worldwide effort. > > > >This is a very good moment to target Monsanto, since it has > run out of cash in > >its megalomaniac attempt to monopolise the life industry in > record time. It is > >going now through a hard time of layoffs and > restructuration in a desperate > >effort to survive, since it cannot pay its bills. It is > also a good time > >because several recent scandals (like the pulping of the > Monsanto edition of > >The Ecologist, the whole Terminator Technology affaire, > the illegal > >introduction of Bt Cotton in Zimbabwe, etc) have > contributed to its profile as > >corporate killer, which, being the creators of Vietnam > Wars Agent Organe and > >rBHG, was already good enough, anyhow. > > > >We are hence making a call to: > > > >* Take direct actions against biotech TNCs, particularly > Monsanto (be it > >squatting or burning their fields, squatting or destroying > their offices, etc) > >* Maintain the local or/and national press informed about > all the actions > >going > >on around the world > >* Take direct actions at stock exchanges targeting > Monsanto, to draw attention > >on its state of bankruptcy > > > >We are making this call for action on the line of Peoples' > Global Action > >(PGA), > >a worldwide network of peoples' movements, in order to > emphasize the political > >analysis beyond our opposition to biotechnology. This > analysis does not only > >take environmental concerns into account, and is not > limited to the defense of > >food security - it attacks neoliberal globalisation as a > whole, the WTO regime > >as its most important tool, and the global power structures > (G8, NATO, etc) as > >the root of all these problems. You will find the complete > political analysis > >on the manifesto of the PGA, which you will find in the web > page > ><http://www.agp.org/>www.agp.org > > > >The fact that this call for action takes place on line with > PGA also has other > >implications: > > > >* We are calling ONLY for non-violent direct actions. > Non-violence in this > >context means that we should respect all (non-genetically > modified) living > >beings, including policemen and the people who work for > these TNCs > >* The campaign will take place in a decentralised manner, > and nobody should > >speak on behalf of other people involved in the campaign > without their consent > >(also not on behalf of PGA, of course); however, people are > welcome to report > >about the actions of others without pretending to represent > them. > > > >If you want to be informed of what is going on around the > world on this > >matter, > >please send a message to listp...@gn.apc.org with the > message subscribe > >pga-ge on the text body. This way you will be informed > about what is going on > >in India and in other countries. (The list will be active a > few hours after we > >send this message). > > > >Please, try not write back to this address, since we will > be madly busy in the > >next days with the mobilisations. However, if you have good > contacts with > >international media (CNN, BBC, TV5, etc) and want to help > us to get them here > >to cover the bonfire at Monsantos field please let us know > as soon as > >possible. > > > >Friendly greetings, > > > >Prof. Nanjundaswamy > >President, Karnataka State Farmers Association > > > >******************** > > > >Appendix 1: "Police Protection to all American Companies in > Bangalore City", > >article appeared in Samykta Karnataka, November 25th > > > >Police Protection to all American Companies in Bangalore > City > > > >Bangalore Nov. 25th > > > >It has come to light that the American Ambassador in Dehli > has written to the > >Government of the State of Karnataka asking to provide a > strong police > >protection to all American companies in the city. > > > >Pointing out the previuos repeated attacks on American > companies by > >miscreants, the Ambassador has requested the State > Government to create an > >atmosphere without fear and anxiety for them to work. > > > >He has stressed the need for a special security for > companies related to > >science and technology and also the their hundreds of > foreign companies in the > >city. > > > >Tight Security for Monsanto > > > >Anticipating attack on the offices of Monsanto in > Bangalore, tight security > >has > >been provided from today, top police sources confirmed. > > > >Police have said in their note that they are providing > security for the > >company > >owning the Terminator Technology and having the right to > sell seeds which do > >not germinate for the second time. In a city where most of > the TNCs are based, > >the present developments have made them to work with fear > and anxiety. > > > >(Translated from Kannada) > > > >********************* > > > >Appendix 2: Monsanto under siege in India, message sent on > 23rd November 1998 > > > > **please distribute as widely as possible** > > > >Dear friends, > > > >On Monday the 16th the public was informed by Indian > newspapers that > >Monsanto (well known in India for the Terminator > Technology) has been > >conducting 40 field trials with genetically manipulated > cotton across five > >Indian states for the last three months. Monsanto is > testing a hybrid > >cotton seed that has been genetically engineered to produce > the Bacillus > >thuringiensis (Bt) enzyme. The permission granted by the > federal government > >in Delhi pertains the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, > Andrah Pradesh, > >Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Now that peoples' > movements are > >starting to mobilise on this matter, the same central > government that > >granted the permission is inviting Monsanto to leave the > country. > > > >Monsanto has formed a joint venture with Mahyco (a 30 years > old seed > >company) to carry out these field trails. According to the > media, Monsanto > >now owns 26 percent of Mahyco. > > > >In the rest of the message I include some excerpts of the > newspaper > >coverage of this affaire. We will keep you informed of the > developments in > >this part of the world, which will most probably include a > number of > >nonviolent direct actions to burn down the genetically > modified crops and > >kick Monsanto physically out of the country. We encourage > you to do similar > >actions all over the world maybe we can make Monsanto's > shareholders feel > >our pressure reflected on the value of their stocks. > > > >Friendly greetings, > > > >Prof. Nanjundaswamy > >President, Karnataka State Farmers Association > >swamy.k...@aworld.net > > > >'Curiously though agriculture is a state subject, Karnataka > Government > >seems unaware of the trials going on in the State. > Agriculture Minister C. > >Byre Gowda admitted that he had been informend of the > ongoing trials but > >was unaware of where they were being undertaken in > Karnataka or in > >Maharashtra.' (The Indian Express, Bangalore edition, cover > page, 16th > >November) > > > >The trials started three months ago although the 'Ministry > of Science and > >Technology has admitted that it does not have the requisite > regulatoy > >regimen to assess the risk of dealing with such transgenic > material for > >which biosafty guidelines have only now been issued.' (The > Indian Express, > >Bangalore edition, cover page, 18th November). In that > sense, the > >University of Agriculture Science (UAS) Bangalore warned > that 'The genetic > >modification involved in geneticlly engineered hybrid seeds > is a concealed > >one that cannot be ascertaiened with existing regulations > of the seed act > >and quarantine.' (ibid.) B.R. Hedge, Director of Research > at UAS, affirmed > >that 'The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) > was only now > >starting to look at ways which regulatory mechnisms should > be put in place > >to check the clandestine import of such genetic material. > Nevertheless, for > >the moment we have nothing ready' (The Indian Express, > Bangalore edition, > >page 9, 18th November) > > > >The KRRS has issued a deadline to the State Government and > Monsanto to > >disclose the places where the trials are being conducted > and the exact > >description of the seeds that are being tested. '"Monsanto > should reveal > >immediately where the trials are being conducted" failing > which "direct > >action would follow on the company's office in Malleswaram" > he [Prof. > >Nanjundaswamy] threatened. "The government can foist 100 > cases of attempt > >to murder [against us], but we will throw it [Monsanto] > out... first from > >Karnataka, next from Maharashtra" ... The former professor > of law wondered > >how the State's Agriculture Minister could be unaware of > the trials. "The > >Government cannot continue for three minutes" considering > its irresponsible > >behaviour, he said'. (The Indian Express, Bangalore > edition, page 4, 20th > >November) > >'Monsanto will have to leave the country within a week. > Otherwise we will > >be forced to throw them out. We have given a day's > ultimatum to the company > >to furnish details about the seed trials undertaken in the > state and the > >country.' (Prof. Nanjundasway in The Times of India, > Bangalore edition, > >page 5 20th November). > > > >Although the field trials are testing BT cotton, the Indian > press and > >politiciancs seem to be rather confused and are mixing up > this issue with > >the terminator technology, which has been used by opponents > of Monsanto as > >an example of the destructive potential of this > corporation. However, this > >confusion is making it easier for Monsanto to reject any > accusation by > >denying the use of this technology. Here are some > statements about this > >issue taken from the last days press. > > > >'Second and Third World markets are the main targets for > the terminator > >seed.' > >William Phelps, Spokesman, Department of Agriculture, USA > (quoted in The > >Indian Express, Bangalore edition, cover page, 18 November) > > > >'It is not merly the economic factors that threaten the > poor farmers of the > >world, but it is nature of the Terminator gene itself, > since the pollen > >from the crops carrying the Terminator will infect the > fields of farmers > >who either reject, or cannot afford the technology.' > >(UAS, quoted in The Indian Express, Bangalore edition, > cover page, 18 > >November) > > > >'This is a terminator of biodiversity, terminator of food > security. It is > >a damaging technology because pollination pollution can > render all > >indigenous varieties sterile. This gene will slowly remove > all > >characteristics of germination from seeds. This means the > harvest seeds > >cannot be used for sowing during the next seseason. It will > also force seed > >dependency on farmers who cannot afford to buy seeds. > >Monoculture was introduced in the country in 1965 with an > aim to provide > >food security. When Green Revolution Technology introduced > monoculture it > >was thought the method would be very effective. > Terminatorgene is being > >dubbed as a second Green Revolution Technology. This, too, > will prove > >ineffective. > >Genetically modified seeds are polluting the local species. > It will not > >solve the food problem, in fact it will terminate food > security along with > >biodiversity.' > >(Prof. Nanjundaswamy, quoted in The Times of India, > Bangalore edition, page > >5, 20th November) > > > >The sincerity of Monsanto can be easily assessed by the > usual roguish reply > >it gave to the critics: 'Monsanto will only bring to India, > products and > >technologies which are consistent with what India wants and > its laws > >aprove.... Monsanto has not, and will not, bring to India > any technology > >that will adversely affect the environment, current > agricuture practices > >and force farmers to use any technology it provides.' > (Monsanto statement > >quoted in Deccan Herald, Bangalore edition, page 9, 21th > November) > > > >Yesterday the Union Minister for Rural Development, > Babagouda Patil, > >declared that 'Monsanto wil be asked to leave India' > (headline, The Times > >of India, Bangalore edition, page 5, 23 November). > > > >'He said that he recieved Information that Monsanto is > developing and > >conducting field trials on the "terminator gene" seeds at a > private farm in > >Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district. "I have informed the > Prime Minister > >and Union Agriculture Minister", he said. He said he knew > the complications > >arising out of the issue due to WTO stipulations. "But the > government will > >not compromise on this issue as crores of farmers' lives > will be in danger. > >The terminator gene seed will pose a serious threat to > Indian agriculture." > >The Union cabinet is expected to deliberate on the issue > besides initiating > >measures to close Monsanto's buisness operations in the > country... He said > >that the Center would not hesitate to withdraw from WTO if > its provisions > >threaten our very existence.' (The Times of India, > Bangalore edition, page > >5 23rd November)
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