BRAI Bill curtails fundamental right of expression

Sri Sri said that the commendable work done by Shri Jairam Ramesh in putting moratorium

on the introduction of BT Brinjal is going to be negated with the enactment of ‘The

Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill 2009’ (BRAI) in the current session of

Parliament. The bill proposes to gag the media (Section 63) since it infringes upon the

Fundamental Right of Freedom of Speech. The penalty for creating awareness (misleading

the public) about the ill effects of Genetically Modified issues may lead to an imprisonment

of minimum six months & upto one year with a maximum fine of 2 lacs. The clauses of this

bill are draconian and more stringent than even the repealed acts like POTA, TADA etc.

He added that there is no provision for action against the company for concealment of facts

(ill-effects) as it happened in case of tobacco in USA where the court fined heavily to the

tune of US dollars 250 billion after several years.

Furthermore, the entire process & working of the companies would be veiled under the clause of 'Confidential Commercial Information' (Section 2 (h) and Section 27) which keeps the entire operation outside the purview of RTI Act.

Unfortunately, the Gene terminator is used to terminate the germination quality of the seeds so that the farmers have to buy new seeds every year. The terminated seeds of the GM crops are dumped into the soil for destruction. In the process gene terminator poisons the soil whose side effects may be known after a few years only. We have not learnt from such examples and BT cotton is a pertinent case to study.

Few years back, BT Cotton was introduced in India without thorough research and experimentation. Its negative fallouts are now being revealed in many places in Punjab,Maharashtra and Gujarat. Farm labors who work as cotton pickers develop allergy and rashes on their skin. It is high time to conduct thorough investigation and contain the problem.

GM crops should be introduced in our country only after proven tests and experiments. Its side effects may be known after a few decades. European countries have denied USA companies to introduce GM crops. This is a fight between USA and Europe being fought on the land of India. Top scientists in India, USA and Europe have spoken against the chronic effects of GM crops on human health and urged to conduct full and thorough investigations.

Sri Sri said that through public hearings on the issue of BRAI BILL, opinions of scientistsand various groups should be sought, like it was done in the case of Bt Brinjal.

Save River Ganga - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar urges people to care for the environment

Guruji speaks on GM Foods

Guruji has announced a three-month campaign to clean river Yamuna.

The campaign -- 'My Yamuna, My Dilli' -- to be launched here Sunday, is being organised in view of the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) latest report that the faecal content in the water of the Yamuna is so high that the river resembles a drain.

"We are responsible for the present condition of the Yamuna. Therefore, if we all get together to clean the river, the efforts will definitely bear fruit. Keeping this in mind, we are launching the 'My Yamuna, My Dilli' campaign here on Sunday," Shankar, who is the founder of the Art of Living movement, told reporters at a press conference here.

According to the CPCB's 10-month-long monitoring of the Yamuna river at Nizamuddin, the water is unfit not just for drinking but even for bathing.

According to stipulated standards, water can be made potable with treatment if faecal coliform is less than 500 per 100ml. It is fit for bathing if the number is less than 5,000 per 100ml.

However, the lowest level of faecal coliform in the Yamuna, measured May 4, 2009, was 4.4 lakh per 100ml -- almost 100 times above the level considered safe for bathing.

Originating in the lower Himalayas, the Yamuna is 1,376 km long. The 22-km-long stretch that passes through Delhi is one of the most polluted.

"Besides raising awareness on the Yamuna getting polluted and the need to save it, we will also launch cleanliness drives on the banks of the river all along its stretch. Several NGOs have promised their support in this campaign and we hope that the Delhi government will also join us in this effort," Shankar said.

Mobilisation drives in school and colleges are also a part of the agenda, he said

Forbes India - Guru Speak

Forbes India - Guru Speak

Guruji on Tree Planting -Tamil

Take action on climate change Now!

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singhji,

The threat of climate change is now so grave that it requires radical action. I am aware of what a climate catastrophe can mean for India and am keen to ensure that at Copenhagen, world leaders like yourself, ensure that the summit reaches a fair, ambitious and binding deal that saves us all from climate change. If we don't change the politics and take real action - both internationally and in India - we will lose our chance to save the climate.

You have a unique responsibility because you exercise political power at a time when humanity is faced with its greatest ever challenge. For leaders after you, it will be too late to act. It is our generation that must take charge and save our climate. And we can, but the clock is ticking.

The Copenhagen climate summit is just weeks away. The international negotiations are deadlocked and we're running out of time to get the global deal that the planet needs. We hope that you will ensure that India is a "deal maker", and ensure that the developed world too doesn't back out of the commitments they must make.

By engaging the big levers of the economy - private capital, taxation, public spending and industrial strategy - politicians can encourage green jobs and deliver a sustainable and equitable economy. Building a low-carbon economy is an investment in India's interest. Our future prosperity, innovation, industry and security - and our environment - depend on it. We want you to take leadership and step up to the challenge of climate change. We need politicians that look to the next generation, and not just the next election.

We need politicians with long term vision. I hope – and believe – that you can be a politician of the calibre that India so desperately needs.

Yours sincerely,


M.Gopalakrishnan

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