CAMPAIGNERSREACH OUT ...... .

F rom the visit to Minister T.R. Baalu to the experiences of farmers in Karnataka and Punjab, our Genetic Engineering (GE) campaigners have come a long way opposing GE and Bt Cotton. The campaigners, Divya Raghunandan, Kavitha Kuruganti and Namrata Chowdhary are now in Warangal, the second largest pesticide-consuming district and the second largest cotton-producing district of India, a district where 1200 packets of Bt Cotton were sold. Continuing to fight for the farmers Right to Know and to ensure that no more harm is done to the environment.

Among the 1 st few destinations was Hanamkanda. A Press Conference was held here, at the Warangal Press Club. Sarvodaya Youth Organisation made the arrangements for the Press conference. Many journalists attended the press conference keen to know the gravity of the situation in Warangal District. 

What surprised the campaigners was the news that Eenadu (a local newspaper) had quoted the Agricultural Officer of one mandal saying that there was a 95% failure rate amongst Bt Cotton farmers. The news was bad, but we’re glad that the government survey has yielded results similar to our own findings. For once, the government and we are saying the same thing!

 

                                Press Confrence at Warangal                              

                                 Kavita speaks to Farmers                                                  

Afew pages from the Warangal Diary…

4 th March 2003

Thefirst day of the Kala Jatha – a farmer to farmer information campaign isunderway in   Kapulakanaparthi,Warangal. A motley crew of performers clad in the brightest clothes that we hadseen in this district, rendered anti Bt versions of popular telegu songs fromthe jeep. They sang their way around the village and returned to the VillagePanchayat office where the meeting was to be held – followed by about 70curious farmers!

Oncethe initial formalities had been dispensed with – a short speech by theSarpanch, one by Damoder, and introductions to all us non-Telugu speakingvisitors – Kavita, with her fluent Telugu, drew the farmers into anincreasingly animated discussion on the effects of Bt Cotton.

BtCotton farmers from neighbouring villages had also joined in by now – theycame forth to share their experiences of acute losses this season. Some werelooking for answers or suggestions on alternatives, others wanted to know how toget compensation for their losses. Most of them wanted to know what thegovernment could do for them.

Onefarmer (NAME & PICTURE HERE) said that 25% of the Bt Cotton he had sowed,refused to germinate! To silence him, the seed dealer gave him a free packet ofBt Cotton seeds. But once bitten as he was, the farmer would have none of it –the free packet lies untouched, and he went ahead and bought seeds of Durga, anon-GM hybrid variety. His was perhaps the only Bt Cotton story with arelatively happy ending.

Asfor that free packet of Bt Cotton? Well, he offered it to anyone in thegathering who might be interested in experimenting with the seeds. Mostgratifyingly, not one hand went up in response. That packet seems destined tolie unopened in Warangal!