Bt brinjal toxicity issue!

You sure remember the anti- Bt brinjal and Iam noLabrat campaign last year and the subsequent moratorium declared by the environ minister.
The scientists across the globe, activists and many consumer groups fought against commercialization of Bt brinjal citing various reasons- bio safety, loss of bio diversity, loss of livelihood, loss of seed sovereignty and health. Now this has been conclusively proven.

Mahyco – Monsanto’s (dangerous) arm in India had collected data of tests conducted (by themselves!) with Bt brinjal. Then they submitted a report to GEAC, the approval committee that it was all fine!
Firstly isn’t ridiculous that the producer, dubious one at that, is the one who will test and also submit a report.
So here after we can expect the court scene like this-
Judge: can u testify yourself? Can u check your own records and tell if u did commit the crime. So the accused wud (jump inside in joy and) softly say “NO‘ and get away!

Recently a New Zealand scientist Dr. Lou Gallagher, conducted an independent analysis of the data and report of Mahyco and gave a scathing report. She states: “Major health problems among test animals were ignored in these reports. The single test dose used was lower than recommended by the Indian protocols. Release of Bt brinjal for human consumption cannot be recommended given the current evidence of toxicity to rats in just 90 days and the studies' serious departures from normal scientific standards”.The rats experienced organ and system damage (incl. of ovaries, spleen, white blood cells etc.) and toxic effects to the liver.
Firstly this toxicology and epidemiology expert from New Zealand used the data that Mahyco produced and not any new or independent data. Apart from laughing at the report that fudged information she also questions the operational style of the approval body- GEAC!
Mahyco, quite understandably, has masked the truth and the negatives in that report and had said ‘all is well’ and so got it passed by GEAC for commercialization! They did inadequate and unscientific tests and then fooled us all by giving wrong information, willfully.

What a shame! We as citizens have been short changed,twice.

Its like this: You take a scan of your body and a doctor states that all is well. Then another doc (second opinion) sees this scan report and not only accuses the 1st doc of hiding facts but passing totally wrong judgement and diagnosis.

Bottom line: Bt brinjal (and in effect any Genetically Modified food) is unfit for human consumption!

You can see her report here: http://www.testbiotech.de/node/444

The original Mahycos data and report here: http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/geac/bt_brinjal.html

cancer

This prevalent disease has been covered here many times..in the context of cause esp the way our chemical agriculture and the chemical pollution in our food is reason for the high cancer incidence these days.
we also discussed how very benign people, with out any vices, are afflicted and why this disease is on the rise.
I had also mentioned about the Chemotherapy for my mom. Today I had to go to the hospital for the 2nd chemo cycle. They asked us to wait. After waiting for an hour, I went again to check out and they said there were many waiting and only after some more discharges can they allot a room. Though I was worked up that they didnt prepare inspite of us having booked a room well in advance. But their ineffeciency or my impatience is not the point. Curiosity led me to ask them how many were waiting! wanna take a guess??
it was 30 at 12 noon! so many people waiting for Chemo. This is an expensive treatment and this hospital in question is also an expensive one.
The cancer is really on the rise and reasons have been discussed every where including here. I dont see people taking necessary precaution at all! Isnt it a serious concern? why is there such a casual approach? go read this again!

oh yeah! forgot to tell here that this cancer specialty hospital has microwave ovens in every floor of the patients' wards to help:-) aint that a proven carcinogenic activity? they also have all those nastily packed kurkures and chips in every corner possible like the western world's vending counters! absolutely no care to educate against the cancer causing food/processed food nor any intention to improve the nutritional quality. looks like they are happy with the increase in cancer incidence! after all business isnt?? may be they all come from the same school as the Manmohans, PCs, Monsantos, pawars- who see some business and economics thru skewed numbers and not reality.

FIL RIP!

W's father, my Father in Law, expired today by noon. He was on a semi comatose last 2 weeks and has been out of hospital.
He was a thorough gentleman and I cant think of anyone having any sort of ill will or unhappy thoughts of him. he was boringly non-controversial all thru his life.
One moment stands out for me. He had visited us in Swiss a decade back and we had the fun cricket among all Indian families around our village out there. This man, 62 then, took it so seriously and ran a serious short single. To avoid a run out shy, he dived to the crease. All of us in the ground and those outside missed a beat. He coolly got up from the ground with bruises, saying he 'reached'..at the same time the umpire was chiding someone who was appealing a run out. so much for his involvement and readiness for sport.
He was always a good sport and a easy go lucky man.
One of these days when he was on and off to 'incoherent' stages he was saying 'ananthoo will take care'. That was his strong belief on many things including a last minute ticket to anything. so it was not surprising that he mouthed that. He wud listen to all of us like a kid when ever we asked him to do anything when he was convalescing. For a fit man like him and esp one who wouldnt drink any thing harder than water and who was always conscious of his diet, this was a sad end. Cerebral hemorrhage and liver cirrhosis was too much.
RIP my dear FIL..am sure you wud take it cool where ever u are.
Note: We decided to donate his eyes and its a fairly simple job. That was a proud moment for me. This gentleman now has helped 2 blinds see, on his way out!
All you have to note the numbers and call them. In this case we had called Narayana Nethralaya. They have to take the eyes within 6 hours and the fan should not be on where the body is. Also the eyes shud be closed. Its a 10 minute job for them and once they remove, we cannot make out if they have removed. Spread this news and help more blind folks out there.

appy pongal.

Happy sankaranti!
happy Pongal!!
Happy Maattu pongal!!!
which ever u celebrate..
nothing new to write ..so maintain the same- http://ananthoosupdates.blogspot.com/2009/01/appy-pongal.html

Farmer's fighter

Kavitha Kuruganti!
Yes, That’s what the agri tamizh magazine, Pasumai Vikatan called her- ‘vivasaiyigalin poralli’ meaning the farmer's fighter..combatant..warrior!
If you had followed the BT brinjal issue, the consultations and the moratorium, u sure heard about her. And you sure accept that post fix.
She was a driving force and was one of the main players who took the fight in to the corporates’ and GM camp.
I first met her 2+ years back at a restore organized meet, when she had come to talk on GM food. It was an impressive talk and one could make out that she was a driven activist and the passion was really high and obvious. The way she articulated and the content was all fantastic.
Then our paths didn’t cross much until the recent Kisan Swaraj Yatra. When I got one of the mails circulated about the yatra, its objectives,agenda, schedule, I was thrilled to see them and was ready to join it. But before that, the striking thing for me was the thought and effort that had gone in to the whole planning of this mammoth yatra. Then I came to know that she was behind most of it and when I called her to get some further info, I must admit I was way impressed.
But I never knew that all this was to become under statement. Once I joined the KSY, I noticed the amount of thoughts and planning that went in and most of it was credited to her. She was there everywhere. She had saw thru all the requirements inside the bus for the 75 days- like an UPS, immersion heater for the distant winter of north India, buckets, dharris, blankets, banners, extension boxes, water keg, stickers n posters, print materials, hand held mike, big amplifier mike set and what not. So as I slowly watch all this in awe, I get to see more. The planning of each state, route, every event to the last detail and the involvement impressed me. Then the striking feature was deliverance- whether there are others to take responsibility or not, if the ones who took the responsibility were standing up to deliver it or not..phew, incredible.
That small impatience hanging almost always, just wanting tasks and issues to be done with, eagerness to deliver perfectly, the 'second driving', consistently chasing people to accomplish their resps, being very wary of time commitments, all those reminding me of a young me..and so the impression increases multifold,naturally:-)
Its not just in planning or the OCD level discipline or the seriousness but also being able to play all the roles effortlessly and efficiently, that steals. She was also our star speaker.Talk of diverse roles!
She is the one the whole KSY wud look up to whenever there was a debate with scientists. IMHO, those were instances she wud freak out and stand out as the super star of the whole campaign. sample: once to a group of scientists who were crying hoarse that GM and biotech was after all science -she just said “ yes, its science but do you all get the point that science comprises physics, Biology esp micro biology too apart from chemistry..” and at another instant where a scientist was heavily gasing about pesticide problems and how GM technology wud do away with pesticide usage, bla bla..she just asked pointedly “if pest was their problem or pesticide was their problem..if its pest, we have lotsa traditional ways and if its pesticide why don’t u ask urself why is it there at the first place?..” I for one was sold to her talks at each of the agri universities and can keep reeling statements about how the scientists were countered factually, statistically, historically and scientifically too..
Then comes the rare side- dare devilry:-0
This was at Jalna, where we were protesting outside the Mahyco (Monsanto’s Indian arm/distri) head quarters. There was heavy police deployment bcos they were obviously getting calls from the ‘whos who’..Then after sometime the police comes up to us and asks us to wind up and when folks point hands towards KK , the police goes up to her. She just ‘shoos’ him away saying she is quite busy and that we had permission for this protest and we had 3 more speakers to talk and only when its all over we would think of winding..when the police persisted again she coolly points out that if he disturbs now, it wud only delay the proceedings and carries on. Cool, eh?
The amazing and incredible part above all is the fact that she has vertigo problem and hence cannot take bus travel easily. The only way she can take a road travel is by being on the 1st seat so that she has a clear view of the road on front, failing which her head wud spin and she wud have a bout of giddiness. So for such a person to plan and dream of a 75 day yatra and with half the travel thru ghat roads..add to that a bakhwas bus that we had..I wud shudder to go thru this..and here she was ‘driving’ the whole scene- the crew, the yatra, yatris and all..
Add to all these woes, her itch to finish any open task irrespective of the so many difficulties, she wud also take her laptop and type her way to glory bcos an update for the website or a press release wud be needed as soon as we reach the next venue.
Yes, that was this small wonder called Kavitha, who was there to get the press releases ready on time always, fantastic reports done immaculately, coordinate the next programs, fast on her feet with alternate plans and place of stay in case of any problems, plan and execute accounts, prepare for speeches (for demanding ones like at univs and special events), the long term policy document – u name it and she had to have a hand. All this meant her average sleep thru the Yatra was a sheer 2 hours a day! Still she had this infectious workaholic nature that spread to me so fast.
It was a pleasure to watch such a smart devil at work from such a close quarter and to see that one could accomplish so much with such perspiration, but getting it all executed so effortlessly was a treat.
So it was no wonder that there were so many stalwarts to support this massive yatra and that lots of interesting folks participating and pitching in with so much enthu all over India. yes, her enthu, seriousness and hardwork is infectious.
Add to all this the knowledge fountainhead that she can be, the information glut that she can present, superfluous confidence she can ooze and all that with the passion and sincerity that she showed, it was no wonder what she has achieved this much in such a short time.
Glory to her. Long live her commitment and let the number of people influenced and guided by her increase and let her 'just' cause prevail.