Leading Farmers Organizations Write To Prime Minister
A number of leading organizations of farmers in the country have made a joint plea to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh not to ban the use of Endosulfan under the pressure from various misguided groups serving European Union interest against Indian farming community and country’s food security. They have requested the Government to take a tough stand against any move to push for ban on Endosulfan at the POPRC meeting of Stockholm Convention now in progress at Geneva in Switzerland.
The signatories to this joint representation include Dr. M.J. Khan, convener of the Federation of Indian Farmers Organizations; Puneet Singh Thind, president of Rashtriya Kisan Sangathan; Kesri Singh Gujjar, president of Dehat Morcha; K.B. Chowdhary, president of Bhartiya Krishak Samaj; M.I. Sayyed, vice president of All India Vegetable Groweres Association; Ravinder Singh Chauhan, president All India Apple Growers Association; Sudhir Agrawal, president of UP Seed Growers Association and B.S. Verma, president of Bihar Farmers Association.
“Of late there has been much discussions for and against the use of Endosulfan. While scientists and farmers have been standing for the product due to its being safe, economical and effective, certain NGOs under heavy foreign funding to them using media and even some public representatives, have been lobbying hard for its ban, unaware of the damage they are doing to Indian farmers and agriculture,” they have pointed out to the Prime Minister.
Environmental pressure groups have been blaming Endosulfan for health problems based on scientific studies conducted by them. The farmers’ organizations have pointed out that “in case of Endosulfan the studies have been found to be scientifically incorrect and fraudulent. One study done by Centre for Science and Environment on Endosulfan and quoted by many other NGOs is a big scientific misconduct and they are keeping mum on being questioned about its authenticity. Incidentlly, this NGO alone has received over Rs 56 crores in funding to create pressure groups and build hysteria.”
The farmers’ leaders have further stated that “ these have been funded by European Union and other Europe-based organizations who have taken no responsibility or accountability for scientifically incorrect studies.” It appears that these NGOs have been funded by EU for obvious reason of creating pressure groups and furthering the cause of European MNCs and their patented products against an affordable broad spectrum and safe generic pesticide like Endosulfan,” the leaders have alleged. “This unholy nexus between foreign funding and local environmental NGOs is causing enormous damage to poor Indian farmers and playing with the food security of the country. One wonders whose agenda they are serving,” the farm leaders have pointed out.
The question also arises if these NGOs have greater scientific expertise than the two high powered committees under Dr. O.P. Dubey and Dr. R.B. Singh appointed by the Government of India who have found no scientific evidence to link Endosulfan to reported health problems, they added.