Ask the PM to stop BRAI bill

By being secretive, the government is only creating more suspicion about the intention of the bill. Public opposition helped stop Bt Brinjal, last year. Now we need to get the national government to stop this bill and save our food.

Opposition from people against GM crops in Karnataka made the government declare a ban on the field trials of GM crops in the state. This can be achieved again. Support from lakhs of people will help put pressure on the PM to stop this bill.

The last known draft of the bill had a clause which allowed BRAI to escape the purview of Right to Information.[4] If the bill is passed as is, we will not be able to stop genetic modification of 56 other crops in the pipeline.

Our government is working on a disastrous recipe. It’s a bill that will place genetically modified (GM) food on our plates, without our knowledge.

The Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) bill can be tabled anytime in this monsoon session of Parliament. The bill, which is not even public, is being pushed in a hasty and secretive fashion. According to an earlier version leaked by the media, the bill will create a centralised non transparent body which will become the sole approver for GM crops.

By being secretive, the government is only creating more suspicion about the intention of the bill. Public opposition helped stop Bt Brinjal, last year. Now we need to get the national government to stop this bill and save our food.

You should ask Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop this bill because it is not transparent.