Dozens protest Bt Brinjal in Orissa
By IANSSaturday, January 30, 2010
BHUBANESWAR - Nearly three dozen academicians, farmers and social activists observed a fast Saturday in this Orissa capital against the government’s move to introduce Bt Brinjal in the country.
The protestors sat near the state assembly carrying posters and banners against the move and observed a fast from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They also distributed leaflets and briefed the people about Bt Brinjal’s adverse impact.
“We cannot allow this to happen. It is against the interest of the millions of farmers who have been doing organic farming since generations,” Suresh Bisoi, a social activist who participated in the protest and observed the fast, told IANS.
The central environment ministry is holding public consultations in various Indian cities to decide whether or not to allow the commercial release of the genetically modified Bt brinjal for cultivation.
