C O M M E N T

‘National and Grassroots Perspectives’

PAUL and Ramashray Roy’s third co-edited election book-- India’s 2004 Elections:  National and Grassroots Perspectives published by Sage Publication’s is out. Two American scholars and old friends of India, Paul Wallace & Robin Remington Wallace from Columbia toured India from November 23-December 20, 2006 but not just to introduce the awaited book. But observe India more closely and revive their contacts and meet friends. Here we share their interesting report on India.

“Jamia Millia University, New Delhi.  Dr. Mohammed Badrul Alam, Prof. of Political Science, organized a well-attended session. Vice Chancellor Professor Mushirul Hasan  “released” the book. Paul lectured on “Terrorism & Conflict Resolution” and Ramashray spoke about the historical evolution of the shared research that resulted in the book.

Guwahati, Assam. Assam included all of northeast India until after India’s independence in 1947. Now, it is the largest of seven states marked by tribal politics, explosive politicization of ethnic identities, and movements including political violence.  Guwahati, the capital city, is on the bank of the Brahmaputra River, which along with the Ganges provided the alluvial deposits that became modern Bangladesh.

Dr. Sandhya Goswami, Chair of Political Science at Gauhati University, and Dr. Nani G. Mahanta, Reader in Political Science organized both university and community events. Paul spoke at the ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research) sponsored Special Lecture on “Terrorism & a Comparative Approach Towards Conflict Resolution.” Vice Chancellor Dr. Amarjyoti Choudhary “released” the book with appropriate remarks, and Ramashray introduced the book. Nani also arranged a separate evening program before a non-governmental organization consisting of opinion elites vitally concerned with bringing peace to this troubled area. Paul spoke on “Counter terrorism in India: Lessons for the Northeast” based on his chapter on Kashmir & Punjab forthcoming in January in a book on “Counter terrorism in Democracies” published by the U.S. Institute for Peace.

The next morning Robin facilitated a dialogue with faculty and students focused on how to implement UN Resolution 1325 “Women, Peace & Security”.

Shillong, Meghalaya. This beautiful, mountain city 7,000 feet high is a wondrous maze of narrow roads. All three of us stayed at the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture, a guesthouse & meditation center surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Dr. Rajesh Dev, Political Science, Shillong Women’s College organized a two-day international seminar on “Armed Conflict, Development & Governance” with a series of major speakers. They included Paul’s presentation from his recently published article on “Negotiations:  Dealing with the Devil,” and a second lecture on “Counter terrorism in India.” Ramashray reported from his major study “Armed Conflict, Development, and Governance in Northeast India,” while Robin’s analysis dealt with lessons for the North East based on her research into the causes and consequences of the Yugoslav wars of secession that continue to undermine state-building projects in South-Eastern Europe.

Prof. Mrinal Miri, former Vice-Chancellor of the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong “released” the book. The Governor of the state and other dignitaries gave the seminar political recognition, while uniformed women cadets added to the ceremonial occasion.

A side trip to Cherapunjee brought mixed feelings. The drive and the mountain vistas were glorious and provided us the opportunity to interact with Kashi tribal sellers and tourists. But ravages of prolonged drought have scarred the scenery. Cherapunjee has long held the reputation for the heaviest rainfall in the world, over 200 inches annually.  Now, changing weather patterns have left an increasingly barren area with one thin waterfall, a stark reminder of the need to work out plans for sharing water resources to avoid future conflicts.

Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), West Bengal. Difficult traffic in this metropolitan city became almost impossible as populist opposition leader Mamata Banerjee went on a hunger strike in the city center.  She opposes taking fertile farmland for the building of a major small automobile factory. Meanwhile, ironically, the Communist Party (Marxist) government, which has ruled this state since 1977, is attempting to force discipline on labor unions and protest movements to encourage capitalist development!!!

Dr. Amiya K. Chaudhuri organized the book release at the Maulana Azad Institute of Asian studies. Ramashray provided the major talk on “Democracy” followed by comments from Paul & Robin. We stayed at the huge Ramakrishna Mission facility.  Coincidentally, Sukanya the daughter of Professor Anil Ray, one of Paul’s first Ph.D. students also is staying there, while she completes her Ph.D. Yes, we had a grand reunion. Ramashray flew with us to Delhi and then returned to his position at the G.B. Pant Social Sciences Institute in Allahabad.

Chandigarh (northwest India). The “city beautiful” originally designed by French architect Corbusier, remains one of India’s most livable cities. It serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana states, but is governed from the center as a Union Territory. This city of only 1 million continues to expand into the adjoining states in the manner of Washington, D.C.  Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana are smaller, thriving middle and upper class versions of Chandigarh. The well-organized, well-run Chandigarh model can be seen throughout the area in sparkling additions to burgeoning cities (industrial Ludhiana with 2 million!) and smaller suburban towns (high tech Gurgaon).

Dr. Pramod Kumar organized the book release at the Institute of Development and Communicationsr.  Paul presented the major talk on “Democracy and Elections in India.” Special tourist treats included Timber Trail in the Himachal Pradesh high mountains, and the annual “pilgrimage” to the Nek Chand Rock Gardens in Chandigarh.

Media Coverage: Paul and Ramashray gave interviews to a variety of newspapers in all the locations, and significant television coverage & interviews occurred in Guwahati and Shillong. In Chandigarh, the Tribune headline (Dec. 16) reported:  “Coalition politics here to stay:  Dr. Wallace.” A long, critical article in the Deccan Herald (Dec. 27) includes an interview with Paul. Here is an excerpt:  “The surprises and paradoxes that permeate Indian politics is effectively highlighted in a brilliant book…. Other media coverage included The Times of India, Business Standard, BBC World Service, Star News and Indo-Asia News Service.

After returning to the U.S., we were delighted to receive e-mail from Nani that his Guwahati peace group is “starting a dialogue programme on 'Conflict Transformation' by involving various sectors of civil society.”

[New Year has seen much more violence than in the last three years. It seems Assam, crying for economic development would test Indian nerves once again- editors]

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No to G M Foods

Several prominent scientists, agriculture experts and concerned senior citizens have urged Dr. Man Mohan Singh, Prime Minister of India to save the farming from the onslaught of genetically modified foods.

In a memorandum signed by scores of public men, it was stated, “ Indian rice, vegetables and feed crops are now seriously under threat of almost certain contamination from genetically engineered seeds.

This is because the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee [GEAC], an inter-ministerial body charged with the responsibility of approving field trials of food and feed crops is facilitating open field trials of genetically engineered seeds of trans-national corporations.

The profound truth is that:

* GM crops remain untested and present unique risks to the bio-safety of our planet. Their potential harmful impacts of many magnitudes are still not understood and will affect our lives in ways unimaginable.

* Transgenic contamination of the natural environment is a biological certainty and is not disputed. Along with Climate Change, GMOs threaten us with unprecedented global ecological crises, whose impacts will be in perpetuity.

* The stated goal of these biotech GE companies is to have monopoly control of the world's seed supply and eventually genetically modify global seed stock. To achieve this diabolical objective, India's precious biodiversity and genetic wealth is a particular target.

* Small and poor farmers are manipulated into field-testing experimental GM crops through the inducement of paltry sums of money and the trust reposed in the 'approvals' granted by the official Regulator. Our farmer's have no real comprehension of what they are being asked to grow, nor the enormity of the adverse implications for farm economics, their livelihoods, contamination, food safety and health.

Despite the evidence of serious hazards, the GEAC, the official Regulator appointed by the Government of India, has not discharged its responsibilities with due diligence. At a single meeting of its committee, it approved wholesale, and with recklessness unmatched in any other country, an astonishing array of over 150 open field trials of every conceivable variety of GM Crops. The approvals cover bulk commodities like rice, wheat and oilseeds among others as well as the full range of vegetable crops, e.g. aubergine, tomato, potato and okra, etc.

Indian rice [both Basmati and non-basmati] is exported to 92 countries. People buy Indian rice in good faith that the rice is a natural, not a genetically engineered, crop. In 2006, the GEAC has approved open field trials of six varieties of Bt rice in 10 out of 25 States in India. Farmers' associations have filed law suits against officials in charge of supervising field trials. Some, fearing contamination, have burnt fields in which GM crops were being tested.

If not immediately stopped, open trials of genetically engineered rice seeds can cause havoc through cross-pollination and contamination of natural rice crops. Many rice importing countries have zero tolerance for contamination, which will seriously affect India's farmers and rice traders.

In India every intelligent farmer saves seeds and the onslaught is on farmers' rights around seeds: the right not to be contaminated and grow Non-GM crops. If contamination is not halted and the diverse traditional varieties are not protected, our seed stock will be contaminated irreversibly; farmers will be unable to keep their lands and our earth GM-free. Therefore, opposition to the merciless onslaught of the big biotech seeds companies is growing and rightly so.

Sovereign issues of biodiversity, safe food, food security and trade, are being compromised to promote the commercial interests of big biotech seeds companies.

Therefore, time is of the essence for remedial action. We request you to

1. Bring forth an Act or an Ordinance banning all open field trials of genetically engineered seeds. If you do not decisively intervene terminating all field trials, India and its neighbouring farming nations will be irreversibly contaminated and lose security of food and nutrition forever.

2. Establish an independent and autonomous Ombudsman with a mandate for the protection of India's bio-safety starting with the impacts of GMOs. If the GEAC's reckless rush into GM foods is not checked, this process will be the fastest and riskiest experiment ever conducted, anywhere in the world, with irreversible impacts on our farmers, their crop choices, our food and health, our forests, our wilderness and our countryside. GM crops, unless stopped right now, will change the molecular structure of the world's food in perpetuity.

Genetically engineered crops and foods truly present the gravest global threat to biodiversity and to survival. We are not against science. We are against spurious technology that is being promoted as sound science.

We, the undersigned, appeal to you, Honourable Prime Minister, to urgently take all appropriate measures to effectively stop all open field trials of all genetically engineered seeds in India. Because of the seriousness of the matter, we ask that you consider this issue with highest priority.

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With Compliments from


Gogi Sidhu
President

Satish K. Jain
Executive Vice President

1301, Mahalo Place, Rancho Dominguez , CA 90220 U.S.A.

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