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

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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