The AIKMS National Executive met in New Delhi on the 10th and 11th of April and decided to call upon all ranks to hold an All India protest on the 29th of April at state headquarters against govt’s permission for sale of Bt. Cotton seed in India. The meeting was presided over by AIKMS Vice President Com. H.S. Sandhu.

According to a statement issued by AIKMS “Bt. Cotton is a genetically modified seed and though use of such seeds is projected to provide higher yield, fact is that farming with such seeds leads to spread of terminator genes which kills the future generation seeds produced in neighbouring farms also, forces the continued dependence of farmers on the multinational corporations for seed supply, promotes heavy use of costly fertilizers, increases risk of crop diseases, increasing the risk of total crop failures and loss which has resulted in unprecedented suicides in recent past in cotton farming areas. Moreover it is surprising that the govt. has permitted the US multinational companies to experiment with the widespread use of these seeds without conclusive field trials and without conclusive evidence of harmlessness of such seeds on human health while world over, including in the US and in Europe, there are massive protests against use of these seeds.”

AIKMS statement further alleged, “Govt has granted permission stipulating certain conditions for the MNCs and these have been kept secret from the Indian people which shows that the permission was given under pressure of MNCs. AIKMS demands from the govt. that permission for sale and use of Bt. Cotton and other genetically modified seeds should be withdrawn forthwith.”

In response to AIKMS call protest programmes were organized at many centres in the country.