*A CLARION CALL TO DOCTORS FROM DOCTORS*
 
 
 
 Dear colleague,
 
 
 *This is a CLARION CALL*
 
 
 
 *All doctors are surely concerned about the nation's
 health and no doctor
 can remain oblivious to the current health issues,
 especially as they
 themselves may be at risk.*
 
 
 
 While the world debates the global
 warming, increasing food
 prices, diversion of food crop areas to bio-fuel
 crops, a silent scourge is
 looming large on the Indian horizon-the scourge of
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GM)
 foods and the related grave health implications.
 
 
 
 GM foods are being developed and pushed
 into developing
 countries in the name of helping them to handle the
 'hunger' of teeming poor
 millions. The ostensible suggestion is that GM crops
 would increase yields
 per acre, will be cheaper, will contain desirable
 contents like proteins in
 higher proportions and will be pest resistant hence
 more economical.
 
 
 
 The facts are unfortunately the REVERSE
 of above claims.
 
 
 
 Not only this, non-food GM crops like
 cotton, are already
 released. Their products/ residues are already in
 the food-chain through
 animals feeding on the seed/oil-cakes, grazing in
 such fields. There is a
 popular concept among our so called well-informed
 society and intelligentsia
 ( read Policy Planners) that India can not continue
 to be retrograde and
 must walk with the 'Brave New World Order' and hence
 must be receptive to
 the new scientific breakthroughs, especially when it
 relates to mitigation
 of hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of it's
 billion people, more so
 when it comes from technologically advanced
 countries like the USA.

 
 Dear doctor, consider the following :-
 
 
 
 1. Most EU countries, by and large, have banned
 or restricted GM foods or
 GM crops within their borders. The latest is the
 French Parliament
 resolution dated 14 May 2008.
 2. The British Medical Association called for a
 moratorium on planting of
 Genetically Modified crops forcing the Govt to
 consider proposals for
 research on possible health risks of GM foods, as
 far back as 1999.
 3. Numerous European Supermarket chains announced
 that they would not
 sell GM foods. There is no system of labeling of
 GM foods for sale in the
 food stores possibly due to pressure from
 Bio-tech Corporations pushing such
 foods/ products.
 4. Two German Universities have called off Field
 trials of GM crops
 following intense public protests as of May 2008.
 5. There is mounting evidence of serious health
 problems among humans
 involved in cultivation/ handling of GM crops
 like Bt cotton.
 6. There is considerable evidence of intense
 morbidity/ higher mortality
 among animals feeding on GM fields/ crop
 products, leading to indirect
 effects on human health through food chain.
 7. There is considerable laboratory evidence of
 serious systemic effects
 on lab animals fed on GM foods in controlled
 studies.
 8. There is evidence of retention of GM DNA in
 human gut bacteria with
 potential to contaminate human DNA.
 9. There is evidence that GM crops contaminate
 non-GM plants by cross
 pollination leading to irreversible and
 progressive damage to biodiversity
 and genetic pool of the nation.
 10. There are GRAVE economic and socio-political
 consequences of
 unregulated introduction of GM crops into India.
 In this connection please
 peruse the two documents below. In fact you must
 do that, to be aware, as a
 responsible citizen of India.
 11. Doctors not only have to be prepared to
 handle the onslaught of the
 new set of syndromes related to GM foods, they
and their families are
 themselves at high risk of the same as there is
 no system of LABELLING of
 imported GM foods which are already on the
 shelves of food shops in India as
 per media reports.
 
 
 
 *In view of all this, dear doctor, and to know more
 about the health issues
 related to GM foods, please join in on 01June2008 at
 10AM at the Wheat
 Auditorium, Punjab Agriculture university,Ludhiana ,
 where most prominent
 scientists will bring forth the scientific aspects
 of what we must know
 about this new health threat. Respected
 personalities like Dr LS Chawla,
 former VC of Baba Farid University of Health
 Sciences & President 'Indian
 Doctors for Peace and Development', will be
 participating.*

 
fdlku cpkvks vkanksyu

Save Farmer Movement

Reference: 323/M/324                                                                                    Dated: 30 April 2008

Sub.: B.T. Cotton is causing death of thousands of animals in Haryana and causing unknown and lethal diseases in animals.

Kind Attention:          The Vice Chancellor,

CCS Haryana Agricultural University,

Hisar, India

Sir,

It has come to my notice that like the death of thousands of farm animals (sheep, goats, cows, buffaloes) due to B.T. Cotton in Andhra Pradesh in last about three years, in Haryana too such widespread mortality of farm animals has been observed by our study group. Our study in Haryana shows that due to consumption of seeds and oil-cake derived from B.T. Cotton, farm animals are facing serious health threats and symptoms of poisoning are observed. Due to this, we have observed that thousands of animals have been facing health hazard. Similarly, direct grazing of B.T. Cotton crop is also fatal to farm animals.

It is my earnest appeal to your kind office that your university should look into this matter of national interest immediately and provide able guidance to the government, people and farming community.

With kind regards,

sincerely,

(Sudhir Kumar Kaura)

PhD

National Coordinator, Save Farmer Movement

cc.

1. The President of India
2. The Prime Minister of India
3. The Union Minister of Agriculture
4. The Chief Minister of Haryana
5. The Governor of Haryana

 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kisan Bachao Andolan or Save Farmer Movement          

Tel. 00 1662 229163, 00 9354172987

E-mail: kisanbachaoandolan@rediffmail.com                   

Web-site: www.KisanBachaoAndolan.co.cc