In a letter to all members of the biodiversity board and the environment ministry, including Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, the environmentalists have accused UAS, Dharwad and its developing partners Mahyco and Sathguru (a front company of US Agency for International Development— USAID) of blatantly violating the Biodiversity Act, while Bt brinjal was being developed by them for commercial and environmental release.

The pro-Bt brinjal view in the ministry of science and technology seems to be on shaky ethical ground. Investigations reveal that the department’s minister Prithviraj Chavan - a vocal supporter of genetically engineered crops - copied and quoted in an official letter material from reports published by a lobbying outfit [ISAAA] funded by seed companies including Monsanto and Mahyco.

There is need for more tests. Tests have largely been done by the company. There has been no independent verification. In many countries there is a need for independent verification of data. 
Biotech is a very powerful tool. We should not deny ourselves the benefits of it. But then, when it comes to food crops, risks and benefits have to be weighed in a way that public has confidence that risks have been considered.

Kranthi, acting director of the Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur, has warned that poor management of the technology has spawned an abundance of predictable and unexpected problems. The rapid adoption of GM cotton by farmers across the country has coincided with the rise of hitherto unknown insect pests, increased pesticide applications by farmers, and declining cotton productivity over the past three years, he has told the government. [...] ”Cotton is a tricky crop — we should have been more careful,” Kranthi said. ”There are lessons to be learnt from this experience for future genetically modified crops, brinjal or anything else,”

the debates, in seven cities including Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, were chaotic, nothing more than acrimonious shouting matches between environmental activists and scientists, who say they were not given a fair chance to voice their opinion. One scientist said he had his hand raised for more than half an hour, but was not allowed to speak. Another said he was told he could make a presentation, but was again not allowed to. Others were not even permitted to enter the premises. So are townhalls such as these the best way to discuss matters of serious scientific weight?

One of the problems, as Minister Ramesh conceded this week, is that the country’s regulatory system lacks the expertise and autonomy required to put decisions beyond reproach. [...] Progress may be slow, but in India’s case, the best rate of growth may not turn out to be the absolute fastest, but the one that takes into account long-term environmental and human costs. A slow-cooked brinjal decision may taste best.

Eight years ago Bob Watson, the senior scientific advisor of the World Bank, found himself standing between two bitter opponents. [...] Watson responded to this tussle by joining hands with the United Nations Development Progam, World Health Organization and other UN agencies to set up a uniquely democratic multi-stakeholder process to study what agricultural technologies will enable every person on earth to be well fed.

Dr P M Bhargava, one of the most unrelenting opponents of the commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in India, believes that last week’s decision of the Centre makes the third war of Independence by India unnecessary. ”The first war was in 1857 which we lost; the second one we won and got independence. We would have had to fight the third war of independence if Bt brinjal cultivation was given the go-ahead. We needn’t fight it now,” he said in an interview here.

A rethink on GM in agriculture: The moratorium has nothing to do with the future of GM technology in agriculture, which is a decision that has been taken at the highest level. GM is an important element, but not the only route to food security. So we are not abandoning GM in agriculture.

A former senior Monsanto official today said he wasn’t surprised by the government’s moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal, noting that the agitation against the genetically-modified variety of the vegetable was ”well-orchestrated, loud and united”. [...] ”The agitation against Bt Brinjal was so demonstrative, well-orchestrated, loud and united as compared to lacklustre and hesitant efforts by most of the protagonists,” [former head of Monsanto Research Centre TM Manjunath] said.