ENERGETIC-BUT-CIVILIZED DEBATE OVER BIOTECH EGGPLANT DRAWS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000030 SIPDIS USDA PASS FAS/OSTA/EPORTER, FAS/OCRA/FERUS/BEAN/RADLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON SENV PGOV EINV IN SUBJECT: ENERGETIC-BUT-CIVILIZED DEBATE OVER BIOTECH EGGPLANT DRAWS SUPPORTERS AND PROTESTERS IN BANGALORE REF: 09 CHENNAI 343 ¶1. (U) Summary: As part of Minister of Environment Jairam Ramesh's cross-country tour to discuss the introduction of a biotech eggplant in India (reftel),Ramesh held an informal event on February 6 at a university in Bangalore. Both sides (for and against) appeared evenly represented at the venue, surprising given that media coverage has been nearly uniformly against. These "consultations" are meant as "listening tours" and Ramesh did not express his own views. He announced, however, that he will take a final decision on February 10. Ramesh remained cool, calm, and collected in the face of hecklers and unruly behavior, and seemed to genuinely want to satisfy the crowd, talking with them for over three hours. End Summary. Environment Minister comes to town -------------- ¶2. (U) India's Minister of Environment, Jairam Ramesh, held a "public consultation" in Bangalore on February 6 as a prelude to the GOI's decision on whether or not to allow the marketing of a biotech eggplant ("brinjal" to most Indians) variety in India. The long-planned, much-postponed, and highly-publicized event was held in a college auditorium packed with more than 1000 spectators, including some very vocal opponents and supporters. Several hundred protestors (including a few dressed up as eggplants) -- all apparently opposed to Bt brinjal -- demonstrated outside the venue, holding posters, building small exhibits, and yelling slogans. Police were out in force and tensions were high, but the only violence we witnessed occurred before the proceedings began when a group of Rashtriya Jagaran Manch, a Hindu nationalist group protesting Bt brinjal, flipped over some tables outside the auditorium. The police reacted calmly and professionally to the few instances of unruly behavior. Listening to the public about biotech eggplant -------------- ¶3. (U) Ramesh's visit was part of a series of such consultations in several cities, but his Bangalore stop was one of only two in South India (the other was Hyderabad). Ramesh announced to the crowd that he would make a final decision on February 10, as a follow-up to the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee's (GEAC) October 2009 decision to approve the commercial release/marketing of Bt brinjal (reftel). The product in question is a biotech eggplant variety developed by Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company( Mahyco),an Indian firm, with a trait from the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacterium that makes the eggplant resistant to the fruit and shoot borer, a common insect pest. USAID has been supporting the work on Bt brinjal for six years through the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSP II),which is led by Cornell University, working in partnership with the Government of India's Department of Biotechnology, the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad, and Sathguru Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd. ¶4. (U) Those opposed to the introduction of Bt brinjal argue that India's environment, food security, and sovereignty are at risk if the commercialization of Bt brinjal is allowed, and many fear that it will damage the health of those who eat it. Many critics also appear to link the U.S.-based Monsanto Corporation to Bt brinjal, even though the company does not appear to be involved with this product. The head of the Hindu-nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),Mohan Bhagwat, also spoke out in Bangalore against Bt brinjal, telling journalists that Indian agriculture has existed for "10,000 years" without such "foreign" products. Some argue that this new technology is being tested on Indians, like guinea pigs. Some protesters we spoke with outside the venue claimed that biotech cotton, quite popular among Indian farmers in many states, has killed many cows that ate it, leading the protesters to conclude that Bt brinjal would do the same to people. A man in his element -------------- ¶5. (U) Despite, or perhaps because of, the raucous nature of the event, Ramesh appeared to be in his element, deftly handling questions both from cranks and thoughtful members of the audience. He began by taking questions and comments from farmers before moving on to local scientists who have worked with Bt brinjal, and then to academics, non-governmental organizations, and medical doctors. The event was scheduled to last for two hours, but started early and was still going strong three hours later. The crowd at times got very rowdy, and on several occasions Ramesh had to discipline the crowd, and repeatedly asked them not to behave as if they were in the Lok Sabha or state assembly, a comment that drew laughs. Ramesh spoke mainly in English (with an interpreter relaying the message to the CHENNAI 00000030 002 OF 002 crowd in Kannada, the local language),ut most of the questions were in Kannada, Tamil,or Malayalam (the main language spoken in Kerala) ¶6. (U) Most of the exchanges were reasonably rderly, although several were quite emotional. Tings got particularly heated when, Leonard ("Leo) Saldanha, head of the non-governmental Environmet Support Group, and apparently well-known to Raesh, shouted accusations about an obscure rulingin the Ministry of Environment and Forests officil gazette of October 2009. Saldanha claimed that the central government overstepped its authority n a matter that ought to have been subject to th competence of state-level authorities, calling nto question the legality of Mahyco's Bt brinjal roduct. Ramesh, consulting with an aide who then ostensibly telephoned a lawyer, replied that the harges were baseless and that the passage in quetion was completely unrelated to biotechnology i general and brinjal specifically. As Ramesh trid to move on to the next question, Saldanha made qite a scene, refusing to hand the microphone to he next questioner. Ramesh rebuked him, emphasizing that NGOs had an obliation to act responsibly, suggesting that they oght to operate under an appropriate code of condct and stop making "wild accusations." Kerala Gvernment makes its opposition clear -------------- ¶7. (U) A seven-mmber delegation representing the Kerala Government made clear its opposition to the introduction ofBt brinjal. The Chairman of Kerala's Biodiversiy Board, told Ramesh that Kerala is not convincedof the need to introduce Bt brinjal, which he said went "against nature." Dr. Vijayan also questioed the motives behind ntroducing a transgenic vriety of vegetable in India which he claimed laced research on the long-term effects to human healt. He claimed that once Bt brinjal was introduce it would do irreparable harm to biodiversity an that Kerala already had over fifty varieties ofbrinjal, each adapted to local conditions. Venu evenly divided -------------- ¶8. (U) Srprisingly, given the often negative coverage Bt binjal has received in the press, the crowd insid the venue appeared to be divided on the issue, ith speakers both for and against receiving loudapplause. Farmers, scientists, and other categorie of speakers appeared evenly split, with the excption of NGO workers, who were overwhelmingly oposed. Cotton farmers who benefitted from .Bt coton shared their experience with the seed and highlghted the reduction in pesticide use. Thoe opposed expressed fears that they would lose control over seed sources and raised the issue of a potential loss of export markets as transgenic crops are banned in Europe. Comment: Democracy at work -------------- ¶9. (U) As an exercise in science or altering public opinion, the event probably did little. Most of the audience appeared to have their minds made up one way or the other, and it is unlikely that any of the comments persuaded anybody to change their opinion about BEE TEE brinjal. As an example of free speech in a participatory democracy, however, the event was a smashing success, with people from all walks of life freely voicing their opinions to a government minister. It is possible that Ramesh made his decision about Bt brinjal some time ago, but if he did, he did not make his viewpoint known at the event, and appeared to listen earnestly to citizens' concerns, noting several times to his aides that they should write down a particular point made by questioners. ¶10. (U) At times, Ramesh recognized questioners by name from emails they had sent him and he could reference the points that they had made in the emails -- demonstrating that he is reading emails from both supporters and opponents and that he has a very good memory. Ramesh made it clear that he would listen to everyone's point of view and keep an open mind, but he reiterated that making the decision lies in his hands, as he is the minister. Although we know that Ramesh has worked constructively with a number of NGOs in India, he appeared to have something of a bias against NGOs on this issue and made a slightly derogatory comment about the attire of NGO workers, which drew loud chants of "what's wrong with NGOs?" Ramesh may make his decision in the coming days, but the passions on display in Bangalore suggest that the debate over biotech products in India will certainly continue no matter what he decides. End comment. SIMKIN