I was in the World Samskritam book fair (all the 4 days) from 7th Jan 2011 to 10th Jan 2011. Some facts of this fair:
(1) Book sales: 1st day Rs. 1.1 Crore, 2nd day 1.3 Crore and 3rd day 1.4 Crore and forth must be much less as most books got sold out and it was Monday. Yet the total is estimated to be around 5 crore rupees.
(2) In Food court all our traditional food items like sugarcane juice, gulkand, tender coconut were available at affordable cost and Pepsis, Cocca Colas, Burgers, etc. were consciously absent.
(3) I couldn't spot a cigarette smoker (except the policemen who were smoking on the road!) in the vicinity on all 4 days (this single thing itself can be termed as Bharatiya Samskriti).
(4) Samskrita Bharati arranged stay and food on all 4 days for just Rs. 200 per person - no one can imagine such subsidised rates that too in Bangalore for over 12,000 people from all around India.
(5) Not even in temples you can see so many people with such traditional attire - Dothi /Saree and many with uttariyam/angavastram and Shika (kudumi).
(6) Despite the lack of any major security arrangements like gun totting Policemen or security guards (security was fully managed by volunteers) all 4 days were very peaceful - well behaved crowd (Samskritam is certainly the vehicle of Samskriti).
(7) Witnessing the success of the show in the first day itself Utranjal state has invited to conduct the next fair in their state, similarly Chatisgarg and few others
(8) As per a book seller Rashtriya Samskrita Samstanam alone have took over 2,000 book orders as their stocks got sold out on 2nd day itself.
(9) Several high level grammar books and Kavyam books on Samskritam went out of stock on first day itself (the 12,000 odd visitors who came to the show as guests themselves bought those books).
(10) I personally picked up about 15 books (most are predetermined - Samskrita Bharati released over 60 books especially for this book fair yet I could browse anyone of them - such was the crowd) carrying these books around was another challenge due to crowd.
(11) Exhibition was a grand success as focus was on Science and Maths - children loved the exhibition than the book fair.
(12) Brisk sale of Products made of Panchgavyam were (like Gomutra ark, Honey, Panchagavya soap) at the Samskrita Grama on Sunday - by the Shankara Mutt from Gokarna - they also were out of stock by evening 5 itself.
(13) The auditorium where speeches and performances taken place was also occupied with over 1000 people most of time and was full with over 1500 people during musical and cultural events
(14) One estimate says over 5 lakh people visited the fair
(15) The fair could've been organised in a bigger place as except the first two days I couldn't enter the book fair hall and all the days I couldn't spend time with the book stalls either for clarifying doubts or browsing books - such was the crowd. Yet all these are excused as this being the first show of its kind.
(16) Wikipedia came and invited all to contribute in their Samskritam encyclopedia
(17) Many people were able to converse or at least understand Samskritam - this was another success of the show
(18) Last but the least on the last 2 days there were over 60 people standing in queue from 11.30 AM till 4.30 PM not for Water not for food - just to enter the book fair hall.
Thanks to Samskrita Bharati and the people of Bangaluru.
By the way I was also happy to visit to Big tree at Lal Bagh
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Business, Media, Power, Democracy and Common man
The separation of powers is a model for the governance in democracy with each branch with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility so that no one branch has more power than the other branches. The normal division of branches is into an executive, a legislature, and a judiciary. Open Media is considered to be the fourth (non-governmental) pillar of democracy. Democracy was practiced in Greece and Rome during pre-Christian era Europe. Subsequently democracy failed due to the reason that powers drifted and rested with evangelical religious institutions which are fanatic and self-preserving by initially aligning with monarchy and then growing bigger than monarchy. The 200+ year socio-cultural revolution in Europe which is termed as European renaissance, fueled the concept of Separation of Church and state to some extent, though the adaptation still varies country to country.
On a similar note, ever since the second world war, in particular after GATT /WTO the powers of various branches of democracy is drifting towards businesses globally. Today private businesses control over 50% of world GDP and real wealth (people are just holding on to some numbers in their bank accounts) - with the control of Media (forth pillar of democracy or the only touch-point with which common man supposed to have access to the real news and events with respect to the corridors of power that can impact his life) business houses garnered enormous power by twisting all truths from news creation to coverage and reporting to opinion making. Democracy survives on counter-rallying power or separation of power. Where each centre of power survives and provides a counter weight when there are alternate sources of authority. With control of money and media businesses have easily captured the other branches of powers. Independent and critical media are essential to an informed democracy. But mainstream media being in the hands of business and political powers which they should be watchdogging, becomes a puppet to brainwash the common man.
With the earlier models of Church being the main power center the damage to the Earth and there by the common man was minimal. However this new dangerous mix of business & PR/Media controlled so called democratic governance is resulting in catastrophic damage to Earth and common man. The raise of businesses and their control of government resulting in huge damages to the Earth (nature) and common man can easily be witnessed everywhere in the world. Particularly in US where the dignified opportunities of survival for common man is almost none unless he agrees to work for the business on the terms set by businesses. Thus humans are considered among other resources for the growth of business than sentient beings. Though the businesses invariably control the state and people yet they don't have any accountability to people as their proxies run the government in the name of representing people. The media is a main instrument of stoning people for controlling them.
The fact that Indian media scene is controlled by a handful of media houses limits the spectrum of viewpoints that have access to mass media proves this point. While half of the media outlets being controlled by business groups with political afflictions (Times, Hindu, India today, Zee, Sony, Star/Fox, CNN, UTV, TV18, NDTV, etc.) and supported by businesses, corporate advertisers, PR Agencies and the other half by political groups themselves (Sun, Sahara, Enadu, Jaya, Maa, etc.) independent journalism is hardly seen /heard and the actual news never reaches people.
In the drive to maximize profits the business controlled news outlets to produce news (rather than report) more and more news with fewer and fewer reporters. With less time to do each story, journalists are increasingly pressured to rely on the PR (Public Relations) industry to do much of their work for them: Reporters can rewrite press releases rather than do their own independent research, and TV stations can broadcast promotional videos that are designed to look like news footage. This symbiotic relationship between news outlets and the industries they cover, bound to make people real stupids in a so called intellectual wrapper overtime. Medias deliberately choose to debate and discuss unnecessary news items instead of educating the public on policy matters, price raise, high level corruption, how food travels from field-to-fork, etc. Adding insult to injury the unnecessary attention on the rich and famous by promoting their lifestyle, gossips - propagation of tabloid culture - helps the businesses to sell more of their useless products and keep people as slaves.
Yoga started as a silent peaceful rebellion movement in certain respect during the 90s has become a 3 billion dollar business in US.
Transformation is always at individual level yet history proves that social transformation had taken place, but have the past reformers faced such a powerful foe?...
On a similar note, ever since the second world war, in particular after GATT /WTO the powers of various branches of democracy is drifting towards businesses globally. Today private businesses control over 50% of world GDP and real wealth (people are just holding on to some numbers in their bank accounts) - with the control of Media (forth pillar of democracy or the only touch-point with which common man supposed to have access to the real news and events with respect to the corridors of power that can impact his life) business houses garnered enormous power by twisting all truths from news creation to coverage and reporting to opinion making. Democracy survives on counter-rallying power or separation of power. Where each centre of power survives and provides a counter weight when there are alternate sources of authority. With control of money and media businesses have easily captured the other branches of powers. Independent and critical media are essential to an informed democracy. But mainstream media being in the hands of business and political powers which they should be watchdogging, becomes a puppet to brainwash the common man.
With the earlier models of Church being the main power center the damage to the Earth and there by the common man was minimal. However this new dangerous mix of business & PR/Media controlled so called democratic governance is resulting in catastrophic damage to Earth and common man. The raise of businesses and their control of government resulting in huge damages to the Earth (nature) and common man can easily be witnessed everywhere in the world. Particularly in US where the dignified opportunities of survival for common man is almost none unless he agrees to work for the business on the terms set by businesses. Thus humans are considered among other resources for the growth of business than sentient beings. Though the businesses invariably control the state and people yet they don't have any accountability to people as their proxies run the government in the name of representing people. The media is a main instrument of stoning people for controlling them.
The fact that Indian media scene is controlled by a handful of media houses limits the spectrum of viewpoints that have access to mass media proves this point. While half of the media outlets being controlled by business groups with political afflictions (Times, Hindu, India today, Zee, Sony, Star/Fox, CNN, UTV, TV18, NDTV, etc.) and supported by businesses, corporate advertisers, PR Agencies and the other half by political groups themselves (Sun, Sahara, Enadu, Jaya, Maa, etc.) independent journalism is hardly seen /heard and the actual news never reaches people.
In the drive to maximize profits the business controlled news outlets to produce news (rather than report) more and more news with fewer and fewer reporters. With less time to do each story, journalists are increasingly pressured to rely on the PR (Public Relations) industry to do much of their work for them: Reporters can rewrite press releases rather than do their own independent research, and TV stations can broadcast promotional videos that are designed to look like news footage. This symbiotic relationship between news outlets and the industries they cover, bound to make people real stupids in a so called intellectual wrapper overtime. Medias deliberately choose to debate and discuss unnecessary news items instead of educating the public on policy matters, price raise, high level corruption, how food travels from field-to-fork, etc. Adding insult to injury the unnecessary attention on the rich and famous by promoting their lifestyle, gossips - propagation of tabloid culture - helps the businesses to sell more of their useless products and keep people as slaves.
Yoga started as a silent peaceful rebellion movement in certain respect during the 90s has become a 3 billion dollar business in US.
Transformation is always at individual level yet history proves that social transformation had taken place, but have the past reformers faced such a powerful foe?...
Monday, November 29, 2010
US S510 Senate Bill and how that will affect India
Iatrogenic is defined as diseases or complications caused by medical examination or treatment or therapies. This includes disease, illness, or death from Drug Side-effects, or CDI (Combined Drug Intoxication) or MDI (Multiple Drug Intake), Drug allergies or inadvertent results of treatment or advice. In addition physical problems harmful consequences of psychological therapies of Psychiatrists also included in IATROGENIC.
You are thinking that the Iatrogenic deaths and diseases must be a small portion of the healthcare system in US but the truth is far from it. First a small background of US health care system:
Before that a fundamental question: Why we need know about US healthcare system - 9 out of top 12 pharma companies in the world are from US and they are the ones controlling the Healthcare system not just in US... They not just control drugs, control the therapies, curriculum of medical education system and the entire chain of healthcare from birth to death of an individual.
All have Manufacturing and/or distribution networks in India and many of these so called formulations are available in India with different trade names or simply imported and sold to public
In 2003, at 14% of the Gross National Product, healthcare spending reached $1.6 trillion in US. Considering this enormous expenditure, US should have the best medicine in the world. US should be reversing disease, preventing disease, and doing minimal harm. However, careful and objective review shows the opposite. Because of the extraordinary narrow context of medical technology through which contemporary medicine examines the human condition, Modern medicine system completely missing the full picture. Medical system is not taking into consideration the following monumentally important aspects of a healthy human organism: (a) stress and how it adversely affects the immune system and life processes; (b) insufficient exercise; (c) excessive caloric intake; (d) highly-processed and denatured foods grown in denatured and chemically-damaged soil; and (e) exposure to tens of thousands of environmental toxins. Instead of minimizing these disease-causing factors, modern medicine actually cause more illness through medical technology, diagnostic testing, overuse of medical and surgical procedures, and overuse of pharmaceutical drugs. The huge disservice of this therapeutic strategy is the result of little effort or money being appropriated for preventing disease in which nutrition from natural foods play a major part
FDA (Foods and Drugs Administration) the sole body is responsible for approval all the food products and drugs sold in USA is the single agency responsible many deaths in US than terrorist attacks or road accidents combined or more than Cancer or Heart Attack deaths
The number of people having in-hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine is 2.2 million. Dr. Richard Besser, of the CDC (Center for Disease Control, another Govt. body) in 1995, said the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections was 20 million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now refers to tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million. The total number of iatrogenic deaths (officially reported) is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States. The 2001 heart disease annual death rate is 699,697; the annual cancer death rate, 553,251 both are lower than the deaths caused by medical system. In the past 20 years alone over 25 drugs initially approved by FDA is withdrawn (after the pharma companies made huge profits selling the druts) due to adverse side-effects such as Heart-attack, Cancer, etc.
FDA topbrass are Doctors who were with Big Pharma companies or Corporate Hospitals and keep moving from one entity to another - now with the new Twist of Chemical companies acquiring Pharma companies such as Monsanto, Novatris, etc. The agenda of these Chemical companies are also pushed by Govt. (FDA) in the name of Healthcare etc. Thus there is a Senate Bill S510 called as Food Safety Modernization Act to control people from growing their own food and natural health supplements such as Pudina /Turmeric /Aloe vera etc. is being tabled in US. With S510 all will be forced get (so called) healthcare provided by FDA approved hospitals, foods and medicines (in other words being lab animals for testing drugs and contributers to the greed of these corporations and their Board)
S510 is passed, personal control over gardening will be severely restricted and saving seeds will be outlawed, theoretically setting the stage for a complete food monopoly by Monsanto and its GMO agenda. In short, it will grant the U.S. government new authority over the public’s right to grow, trade and transport any foods. Food production of any kind will essentially be under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and anyone caught growing food without permission, even in their own backyard, could be charged with a criminal offense.
Now the coterie of Corporate Pharma, Corporate Hospital, Corporate Insurance, Corporate Farmers and Corporate Government Oops just Government, want to enter and control end-to-end another important area of our life - Food - which is already crowded with all sorts of chemical stuff, claims and counter claims. From now onwards one would witness GM foods sold as health foods, approved by Govt. agencies, prescribed by a doctor and included as part of the treatment coverage by insurance companies...
Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Herbal medicines, Naturopathy, all will be banned in US and also in Europe... when S510 comes to effect
You are thinking that the Iatrogenic deaths and diseases must be a small portion of the healthcare system in US but the truth is far from it. First a small background of US health care system:
Before that a fundamental question: Why we need know about US healthcare system - 9 out of top 12 pharma companies in the world are from US and they are the ones controlling the Healthcare system not just in US... They not just control drugs, control the therapies, curriculum of medical education system and the entire chain of healthcare from birth to death of an individual.
All have Manufacturing and/or distribution networks in India and many of these so called formulations are available in India with different trade names or simply imported and sold to public
In 2003, at 14% of the Gross National Product, healthcare spending reached $1.6 trillion in US. Considering this enormous expenditure, US should have the best medicine in the world. US should be reversing disease, preventing disease, and doing minimal harm. However, careful and objective review shows the opposite. Because of the extraordinary narrow context of medical technology through which contemporary medicine examines the human condition, Modern medicine system completely missing the full picture. Medical system is not taking into consideration the following monumentally important aspects of a healthy human organism: (a) stress and how it adversely affects the immune system and life processes; (b) insufficient exercise; (c) excessive caloric intake; (d) highly-processed and denatured foods grown in denatured and chemically-damaged soil; and (e) exposure to tens of thousands of environmental toxins. Instead of minimizing these disease-causing factors, modern medicine actually cause more illness through medical technology, diagnostic testing, overuse of medical and surgical procedures, and overuse of pharmaceutical drugs. The huge disservice of this therapeutic strategy is the result of little effort or money being appropriated for preventing disease in which nutrition from natural foods play a major part
FDA (Foods and Drugs Administration) the sole body is responsible for approval all the food products and drugs sold in USA is the single agency responsible many deaths in US than terrorist attacks or road accidents combined or more than Cancer or Heart Attack deaths
The number of people having in-hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine is 2.2 million. Dr. Richard Besser, of the CDC (Center for Disease Control, another Govt. body) in 1995, said the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections was 20 million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now refers to tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million. The total number of iatrogenic deaths (officially reported) is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States. The 2001 heart disease annual death rate is 699,697; the annual cancer death rate, 553,251 both are lower than the deaths caused by medical system. In the past 20 years alone over 25 drugs initially approved by FDA is withdrawn (after the pharma companies made huge profits selling the druts) due to adverse side-effects such as Heart-attack, Cancer, etc.
FDA topbrass are Doctors who were with Big Pharma companies or Corporate Hospitals and keep moving from one entity to another - now with the new Twist of Chemical companies acquiring Pharma companies such as Monsanto, Novatris, etc. The agenda of these Chemical companies are also pushed by Govt. (FDA) in the name of Healthcare etc. Thus there is a Senate Bill S510 called as Food Safety Modernization Act to control people from growing their own food and natural health supplements such as Pudina /Turmeric /Aloe vera etc. is being tabled in US. With S510 all will be forced get (so called) healthcare provided by FDA approved hospitals, foods and medicines (in other words being lab animals for testing drugs and contributers to the greed of these corporations and their Board)
S510 is passed, personal control over gardening will be severely restricted and saving seeds will be outlawed, theoretically setting the stage for a complete food monopoly by Monsanto and its GMO agenda. In short, it will grant the U.S. government new authority over the public’s right to grow, trade and transport any foods. Food production of any kind will essentially be under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security and anyone caught growing food without permission, even in their own backyard, could be charged with a criminal offense.
Now the coterie of Corporate Pharma, Corporate Hospital, Corporate Insurance, Corporate Farmers and Corporate Government Oops just Government, want to enter and control end-to-end another important area of our life - Food - which is already crowded with all sorts of chemical stuff, claims and counter claims. From now onwards one would witness GM foods sold as health foods, approved by Govt. agencies, prescribed by a doctor and included as part of the treatment coverage by insurance companies...
Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Herbal medicines, Naturopathy, all will be banned in US and also in Europe... when S510 comes to effect
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Myth of a Germ-free world
An interesting article on why we can't have a germ free environment and we are probably the cause of it. Instead of helping the friendly bacteria surrounding us in fighting with the harmful ones we are killing the friendly ones and making the harmful ones tolerant to anti-bacterial stuff. In this deal also having a weak immune system...
One of my old posts on this topic is here... Save Bacteria!
Visit the Web-page link for more info... Myth of a Germ-free world
One of my old posts on this topic is here... Save Bacteria!
Visit the Web-page link for more info... Myth of a Germ-free world
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Kisan Swaraj Yatra
The Kisan Swaraj Yatra is a nation-wide mobilization drawing fresh attention to the continuing agricultural crisis in India, and calling for a comprehensive new path for Indian agriculture – that will provide livelihood and food security for small farmers, keep our soils alive, and our food and water poison-free. The bus-Yatra will start at the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram on Oct 2nd 2010, and pass through 20 states to reach Rajghat, New Delhi on Dec 11th 2010
http://www.kisanswaraj.in/
Happen to take part in Chennai leg of the yatra, felt should have taken part in the entire yatra - timely wakeup call to all people (food producers and consumers). Fellow farmers please save yourself from the health/economic problems of chemical farming practices and also save the nation. It is in your hands...
http://www.kisanswaraj.in/
Happen to take part in Chennai leg of the yatra, felt should have taken part in the entire yatra - timely wakeup call to all people (food producers and consumers). Fellow farmers please save yourself from the health/economic problems of chemical farming practices and also save the nation. It is in your hands...
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Should this happen in India ??!!!
Immediately after general public, several concerned scientists and farmers rejected Bt-brinjal...
Our (Indian) government is into something which is unthinkable even in a dictatorship country
The proposed BRAI (Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India) Act 2010 is going to put you in jail if you question the safety of GM Foods.
Many concerned citizens objected to one particular aspect of the bill which states “whoever, without any evidence or scientific record misleads the public about the safety of organisms and products…shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year and with fine which may extend to two lakh rupees or with both”.
“The Bill seems to have draconian clauses to stifle anti-GM voices in the country and is designed to be a Clearing House for GMO applications rather than to protect the health and environment of people in the country,” Dr P.M. Bhargava, Founder-Director of the Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and a vocal critic of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) told The Hindu over phone.
Another controversial aspect of the Bill, opposed by anti-GM groups, pertains to clinical trials of GMOs and is therefore related to providing the public with “false” or misleading information.
Chapter XIIII of the BRAI Bill states that “whoever, himself or by any other person on his behalf, conducts clinical trials with organisms or products… shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to ten years and with fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees or with both”.
“This is meant to harass civil society groups and scientists who are voicing their concern on this (GE /GM) technology,” said Dr. Bhargava. “There is no penalty if someone promotes GMOs without safety tests, but there is a penalty if someone wishes to inform the public about the hazards of GMOs. Besides, who is to decide on “misleading” and on what basis?” he asked.
KNOW THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO CATCH YOU - A CIVILIAN FOR QUESTIONING THE SAFETY OF FOOD AND NOT THE TERRORIST WHO KILLS INNOCENT PEOPLE
THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA ?!...
Read the recent news items from The Hindu and India Today.
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article108821.ece
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/84730/India/Govt+moots+jail+for+GM+food+critics.html
Scientific American report on how a GM Seed company (Monsanto) uses seeds to control the entire food chain (be happy that it is only human food chain !)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-seed-companies-control-gm-crop-research#comments
IMPORTANT: GM Cotton (BT Cotton) ineffective - Flash News: (despite this Govt. wants to force GM Foods on us !)
http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/06/stories/2010030664831400.htm
WHAT IS TO BE DONE ???... - WHAT ELSE, CREATE AWARENESS, PROTEST PEACEFULLY... and sign the below petition also
http://www.petitiononline.com/sackpawa/petition.html
Some info on GMO or GM /GE /Transgenic /Genetically modified, etc.
The biotech MNCs have been allowed to build a monopoly on patented genetically modified (GM) seeds, and planted them on 90 percent of India’s cotton fields in just 7 years. It is allowed to harass and intimidate farmers, not just for saving its GM seeds illegally, but for patent infringement, should a farmer choose not to grow GM crops, and the non-GM crop becomes contaminated, inevitably, by the neighbours’ GM seeds or pollen that get propagated by air, bees, butterflies, etc
In USA not only Monsanto and others have prevented GM products in the supermarket from being labelled, so no one can say whether GM food has harmed people, some US states have enacted a food libel law that forbids anyone to say bad things about GM foods that leads to loss of profit for the Biotech industry. Indian government's move to introduce BRAI Act 2010 is by itself an example of this.
There is now a substantial evidence indicating that GM /GE food is inherently hazardous. Whenever and wherever independent studies are carried out to test the effects of GM /GE foods on animals, scientists find increased illnesses, sterility or deaths; farmers and farm workers are also witnessing the same happening in the fields - this is conveniently ignored by the scientific community as Anti-science
Our (Indian) government is into something which is unthinkable even in a dictatorship country
The proposed BRAI (Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India) Act 2010 is going to put you in jail if you question the safety of GM Foods.
Many concerned citizens objected to one particular aspect of the bill which states “whoever, without any evidence or scientific record misleads the public about the safety of organisms and products…shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year and with fine which may extend to two lakh rupees or with both”.
“The Bill seems to have draconian clauses to stifle anti-GM voices in the country and is designed to be a Clearing House for GMO applications rather than to protect the health and environment of people in the country,” Dr P.M. Bhargava, Founder-Director of the Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and a vocal critic of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) told The Hindu over phone.
Another controversial aspect of the Bill, opposed by anti-GM groups, pertains to clinical trials of GMOs and is therefore related to providing the public with “false” or misleading information.
Chapter XIIII of the BRAI Bill states that “whoever, himself or by any other person on his behalf, conducts clinical trials with organisms or products… shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to ten years and with fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees or with both”.
“This is meant to harass civil society groups and scientists who are voicing their concern on this (GE /GM) technology,” said Dr. Bhargava. “There is no penalty if someone promotes GMOs without safety tests, but there is a penalty if someone wishes to inform the public about the hazards of GMOs. Besides, who is to decide on “misleading” and on what basis?” he asked.
KNOW THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO CATCH YOU - A CIVILIAN FOR QUESTIONING THE SAFETY OF FOOD AND NOT THE TERRORIST WHO KILLS INNOCENT PEOPLE
THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA ?!...
Read the recent news items from The Hindu and India Today.
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article108821.ece
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/84730/India/Govt+moots+jail+for+GM+food+critics.html
Scientific American report on how a GM Seed company (Monsanto) uses seeds to control the entire food chain (be happy that it is only human food chain !)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-seed-companies-control-gm-crop-research#comments
IMPORTANT: GM Cotton (BT Cotton) ineffective - Flash News: (despite this Govt. wants to force GM Foods on us !)
http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/06/stories/2010030664831400.htm
WHAT IS TO BE DONE ???... - WHAT ELSE, CREATE AWARENESS, PROTEST PEACEFULLY... and sign the below petition also
http://www.petitiononline.com/sackpawa/petition.html
Some info on GMO or GM /GE /Transgenic /Genetically modified, etc.
The biotech MNCs have been allowed to build a monopoly on patented genetically modified (GM) seeds, and planted them on 90 percent of India’s cotton fields in just 7 years. It is allowed to harass and intimidate farmers, not just for saving its GM seeds illegally, but for patent infringement, should a farmer choose not to grow GM crops, and the non-GM crop becomes contaminated, inevitably, by the neighbours’ GM seeds or pollen that get propagated by air, bees, butterflies, etc
In USA not only Monsanto and others have prevented GM products in the supermarket from being labelled, so no one can say whether GM food has harmed people, some US states have enacted a food libel law that forbids anyone to say bad things about GM foods that leads to loss of profit for the Biotech industry. Indian government's move to introduce BRAI Act 2010 is by itself an example of this.
There is now a substantial evidence indicating that GM /GE food is inherently hazardous. Whenever and wherever independent studies are carried out to test the effects of GM /GE foods on animals, scientists find increased illnesses, sterility or deaths; farmers and farm workers are also witnessing the same happening in the fields - this is conveniently ignored by the scientific community as Anti-science
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Rustle the Leaf - comic strip
Very good collection of comic strips focusing on Environmental messages. The wit, sketches and the messages are upto the standards of Calvin & Hobbes - Well done Ponce & Wright
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