There is a right royal fight going on around the country about the BT-brinjal in particular and GM crops in general.
I am really really glad that all of these protesters were not around when the Indian Green Revolution took off in the 60s. Before the Green Revolution, average rice yield in India was about 2000 Kg / Hectare. The famous IR8 rice variety (and later IR36) were adopted and the average yield in 90s is about 6000 Kg / Ha.
The man who was instrumental in inviting Mr. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, to India was none other than M.S. Swaminathan, who is saying something against adopting GM crops ‘too-soon’ today.
If we had had these protests in 60s, there would not have been Green Revolution and most of these protesters perhaps would not be alive – died of starvation or malnutrition (that number may have included me too).
Personally, having seen how a GM crop can increase yield and feed people, I am all for it – especially when China is going full steam ahead on GM crops.
[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125959909959569901.html]
BTW I would love to know if all these protesters - left, right, need-mental-help-people, flag wavers and farmers - are against Bio-Tech as a whole or just against something new.
Because if they are against Bio-tech as a whole, do they take antibiotics? or do they rely only on neem-juice and turmeric-paste when they fall ill?
No anti-dandruff shampoo, facial cream or deodorants?
Most, if not all antibiotics have side effects and most antibiotics today are semi-synthetic and if they can take antibiotics directly into their body, then why not eat a GM vegetable or rice which in any case will be cooked – either fried, boiled or nuked? Is this what is called dogmatism?
As Dogmatix signals – These Romans are crazy.
- a state Govt. calls it westernization of agriculture,
- the Environment Minister tells an opponent of BT-Brinjal to seek ‘mental-help’,
- both the Left and Right politicians are united on this,
- a yogic is against it, and
- a Spiritual Guru calls for verification and,
- the man considered the architect of India’s Green Revolution – which first introduced GM crops in India, back in 1965 – M. S. Swaminathan appears to have developed cold feet.
I am really really glad that all of these protesters were not around when the Indian Green Revolution took off in the 60s. Before the Green Revolution, average rice yield in India was about 2000 Kg / Hectare. The famous IR8 rice variety (and later IR36) were adopted and the average yield in 90s is about 6000 Kg / Ha.
The man who was instrumental in inviting Mr. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, to India was none other than M.S. Swaminathan, who is saying something against adopting GM crops ‘too-soon’ today.
If we had had these protests in 60s, there would not have been Green Revolution and most of these protesters perhaps would not be alive – died of starvation or malnutrition (that number may have included me too).
Personally, having seen how a GM crop can increase yield and feed people, I am all for it – especially when China is going full steam ahead on GM crops.
[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125959909959569901.html]
BTW I would love to know if all these protesters - left, right, need-mental-help-people, flag wavers and farmers - are against Bio-Tech as a whole or just against something new.
Because if they are against Bio-tech as a whole, do they take antibiotics? or do they rely only on neem-juice and turmeric-paste when they fall ill?
No anti-dandruff shampoo, facial cream or deodorants?
Most, if not all antibiotics have side effects and most antibiotics today are semi-synthetic and if they can take antibiotics directly into their body, then why not eat a GM vegetable or rice which in any case will be cooked – either fried, boiled or nuked? Is this what is called dogmatism?
As Dogmatix signals – These Romans are crazy.
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