A sharp controversy has been taking place since last few weeks in Punjab on Bt. cotton seeds prepared by bioengineering. Arguments in favour and against are being advanced. While some peasant organizations are staunchly criticizing and opposing it and making attempts to mobilize people against it, some others are welcoming it, projecting it as a gift of technology and a miracle of scientific advancement. Even some journalists have written some long articles in Bt. cotton’s favour. It seems that these people have not gone deeper into this issue and have not investigated all aspects of this problem. Some multinational corporations, particularly American MNC Monsanto, has encouraged a debate on Bt. cotton seeds throughout the country to make them acceptable. All these writings have emerged as components of this propaganda campaign in favour of these bio-engineered seeds.

In Punjab, this issue has assumed significance due to agrarian reality of the province. The cotton crop has been sown as one of the major kharif crops in major part of the districts of Bathinda, Mukatsar, Faridkot and Firozepore and in some parts of Patti Tehsil of district Amritsar. American bolworm has been causing havoc as a devastating cotton disease since a past few years. The sprays of pesticide and insecticide have become ineffective on this worm. Peasants have found no answer to the devastating effects of this American worm. The suggestions and advice given by experts of Agricultural University and Agriculture Department have not rendered any effective help to the peasants. The result is obvious and logical: the cotton crop has been destroyed year after year. The financial and economic situation of the peasants of cotton-belt has been shaken badly. The news for peasants, in this context, that a new kind of cotton-seed fully resistant to all worms including American bolworm and which does not need any spray of insecticide has descended on them as a god-given gift. The cotton growers are waiting for Bt. cotton seeds very impatiently.

Peasants, as a class, are short-sighted. They do not go deeper to study the negative and long-term effects of any thing or phenomenon, but rush for the immediate gains accruable therefrom. In this context, elimination of American bolworm should be a must and the only measure for this seems to be Bt. cotton seeds. Also seen in this context, the widespread propaganda campaign launched by Monsanto and favourable opinion of official and pro-imperialist agriculture-experts like Mr. S.S. Johal and like, have been playing an effective role in creating glittering and attractive myths regarding usefulness of Bt. cotton-seeds. These experts have been playing as “gentle enemies” or friendly foes for the farmers. The entry of Bt. cotton is being projected as second green revolution. We shall discuss all the aspects of Bt. seeds, especially the Bt. cotton seeds here.

What  is Bt. cotton?

Every organism is constituted by cells of matter and genes serve as basis of cells. When one gene combines with other genes there, the newly produced type bears different characteristics than the combining genes taken separately. This combination and permutation of genes has created astonishingly numerous types of plants and animals. This process has been going on in nature since time immemorial. With the advancement of science, man has experimented, even successfully, to combine genes in the laboratory. This process, on the one hand, is helping to detect and identify the diseases and researching the treatment for these, on the other hand, this process has become useful and fruitful in developing new seeds of plants. The new organisms, thus produced from the process of artificial gene combinations are called genetically modified organisms or G.M.O. The scientific process of preparing GMO is called Genetic Engineering. It is appropriate to call these seeds G.M. cotton seeds.

It is also very obvious that it is not that G.M. seeds of cotton only are available only, the G.M. seeds of soyabean, potato and rice are also in circulation. All the seed-producing companies, specifically all the MNCs, are feverishly pursuing the goal to prepare the G.M. seeds of all the crops.

Bt. cotton has been prepared by an America-based MNC, known as Monsanto. The Monsanto scientists took a bacteria known as Bacillus thirugiensis from the soil and matched it with the cotton plant gene. With this process, a toxic matter (a poisonous matter) is produced by the cotton plant, which is capable of killing all insects including American bolworm. As this cotton plant can kill the American bolworm and can protect the plant, so Monsanto has named this cotton variety as Bt. Cotton Bolguard.

Out of total cotton production in the world, 32% or almost one-third of it is being produced in India. Indian cotton growers are very badly affected by American bolworm. Therefore, India remains as a big potential market for Monsanto’s Bt. Cotton Bolguard seeds. In order to enter the market effectively, Monsanto has purchased 26% share of Maharashtra Hybrid Corporation (Mahyco) and thus, made it as its partner and the collaborating venture has been named as S.S.B. In order to conduct research on insecticides and crops in tropical countries and establish laboratories there, this collaborating company has entered into an agreement with Indian Institute of Science. To achieve its targets Monsanto selected 9 sites and patented Bolguard seeds to test the viability of the project. But this project met resistance in Karnataka where Karnataka State Ryots’ Union launched an awareness campaign to enlighten the peasants regarding the adverse effects of Bt. Bolguard seeds and the protesting peasants uprooted the sown cotton crop and burnt it too. Similar acts of peasants’ protests have been reported from A.P. also. While protests against Cotton Bolguard seeds went on unabated, its experiments on Indian soil were also kept continuing.

Now Vajpayee Govt., without investigating the results of experiments conducted by Monsanto, has approved the cultivation of the Cotton Bolguard seeds taking the claims of Monsanto as correct and authentic and without verification on its own behalf. During this period, the Govt. has changed in Punjab. The newly constituted Congress Govt. in Punjab has sharp difference with the Govt. led by BJP at Centre. Though S.S. Johal has been appointed as an advisor on Agriculture and Science to the Punjab CM, Mr. Amrinder Singh. At the same time, the Punjab CM has decided to appoint an expert committee headed by Mr. S.S. Johal to investigate the causes and solutions of agrarian crisis in Punjab. And it is very well known that Mr. S.S. Johal is a staunch supporter of Bt. Cotton seeds or G.M. seeds. Both Mr. Amrinder Singh and S.S. Johal have been staunch supporters of World Bank, an instrument of imperialist exploitation. But even then due to political opposition to Central Govt. and, perhaps, due to inner opposition in the Congress Party, Mrs. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, the Punjab Agricultural Minister, has not approved the cultivation of G.M. seeds in Punjab.

Monsanto’s Claims and Realities

Tall claims have been made by Monsanto and Mahyco in a joint brochure being circulated by them. We shall test their claims on the touch-stone of reality. First let us examine their claims.

1.         Monsanto claims that Bt. Bolguard Cotton is a pest- repellent.

2.         Experiments conducted in Monsanto laboratories show that G.M. seeds are not harmful in anyway.

3.         Insecticide spray is required only once. Hence expenditures on insecticides are very much reduced.

4.         These seeds increase cotton yield by 25%.

Let us examine the reality of these claims.

1.         Monsanto claims that Bolguard Cotton seeds repel the worms attacking the cotton crop. But no such odour or smell is produced by the combination of Bacillus thirugiensis bacteria and cotton gene which can repel the other pests and worms. But this combination does produce a poisonous substance which can kill the worms and pests attacking the cotton crop. On the other hand, worms and insects like American bolworm cannot be repelled. These cotton plants, therefore, are not pest-repellent but pest-killers or pesticide. Then why Monsanto is making such misleading and false claims? By doing so Monsanto is making strenuous attempts to hide the very presence of a poisonous substance in the new cotton seeds, so that people will remain unaware of this fact. But field-experiments have proved the pesticide nature of this cotton.

2.         Monsanto scientists have declared that these new seeds and the resultant crops from them, do not cause any harmful effects on any organisms in any way. While acting under the enormous pressure of Monsanto, US Govt. has declared these GMO-based seeds as harmless and has approved its cultivation. But there is another side of the coin. An independent and non-governmental institution called “Play fair Europe” situated in Britain has concluded a research on this subject under the guidance of Arpand Pushtai and Stanley Evans. During this research GMO-based potatoes were given to rats for eating. It was observed that these rats developed enlargement of stomach and liver and also developed symptoms of many other diseases including symptoms of cancer. This research has caused a great sensation throughout Europe. Review of GMO-based seeds was undertaken seriously. It was after this revelation that European Union opposed a “political group” led by USA on this issue at the World Bio-Security Conference and also it supported a third world based “group of heterogeneous views” on many other issues. This research has established that these seeds are not harmless. It has been concluded in a paper entitled “Microbial Ecology in Health and Diseases” that intake of GMO-based products can increase the danger of cancer and at the same time it can activate many dead viruses and even can produce new viruses. Apart from this, it was found during a court litigation in USA that Research Wing of Govt.’s Development Agency has not conducted any research on this aspect of GMO based seeds at all, but has allowed the cultivation of these new seeds just basing itself on the conclusions drawn by Monsanto itself.

3.         Monsanto also claims that GMO based seeds, particularly cotton seeds do not need many sprays of pesticides and insecticides, but only once a spray has to be made. That is why its cost of production is sizably deduced. But 25 farmers of Texas State in USA had filed a case in court against Monsanto. Influenced by widespread propaganda of Monsanto, these farmers sowed these Bolguard cotton seeds in 18000 acres of land. But the new cotton variety did succumb to the attack of American bolworm and they had to resort to the usage of insecticides and pesticides. This incident made a fiasco of Monsanto’s claims. In Illinois State of USA, the expenditure on GMO based cotton seeds and measures to control weeds was increased from $40 to $60 per acre. This expenditure used to be $26 per acre some 3 years ago. So, there happened an increase of 23% on alternative input. Now this increase happens to be between 35% to 40% (Ben Brook 1999). So these farm statistics from fields of Illinois have rendered hollow these claims made by Monsanto.

4.         The fourth claim made by Monsanto says that GMO based seeds result in increase in yield. But facts do not confirm this claim. The field-experiments have proved no pronounced increase in yield. The Economic Research Service of American Development Agency conducted field survey in 12 out of 18 crop regions of USA. In 6 out of these 12 crop regions, yield increase was 5% to 30%, but yield increase in case of cotton did not take place. In other 6 regions, the traditional crops fared well in yield. Another survey, conducted on 8000 fields, showed that Round up ready variety of Soya Bean (which is a GMO based variety), suffered loss in yield and comparatively lesser number of bushels were recorded (USAID, 1999). In one way, the Monsanto’s experiments on American soil to which Monsanto belongs, proved that Monsanto’s claims regarding substantial yield increase are miles away from the reality.

Potential Ill-Effects of Bt. Cotton Seeds

As already said that peasants suffer from short sightedness and due to this they hail the resistance to American bolworm as the only acceptable aspect and jump to undertake its cultivation without paying heed to the potential and possible ill-effects of Bt. Cotton seeds. Here, we shall comment on some of the potential dangers linked to this variety of seeds.

It has been proved that Bolguard cotton produces an insecticide and not a pest-repellent. The cause of this characteristic is the production of a poisonous substance due to the process of genetic engineering. Its effect is distributed throughout the entire plant. In our country, cotton fibres are not only used for textile, but cotton seeds are also used for producing cooking oil and use of its residue as an animal feed is also widespread here. Cotton seeds and its oil cakes are used as animal feed also. The poisonous substance contained in these seeds, may prove as a fatal substance for men and animals. Not only this, if its ill effects are recorded on cotton fibres, then it can cause many serious skin diseases. Of course, it is not certain yet. Both cotton seeds and oil cakes are to be used/consumed even directly, so their ill effects on men and animals certainly need study. These could give rise to serious diseases. The ill effects on health have infact been scientifically proved earlier.

This poisonous cotton crop also creates harmful effects on the surrounding crops that happen to be there. Monsanto says that (pollen) can travel upto one and a half metres only. If some hedge is grown in a belt all along the periphery of the field, then pollen cannot affect the crops in the surrounding fields. Firstly, it can be feasible and possible to leave a 1.5 metre belt all around the periphery of fields in big farms in America, but it cannot be economically viable in small farms of 2-3 acres in Punjab. Secondly, field studies in India have shown that pollen can travel upto 5 kilometres here. In such a situation the measure of leaving 1.5 metres wide protective hedge belt cannot prove effective. So it is more likely that surrounding non-GMO crops can be adversely affected.

Not only that. Pollination also occurs due to butterflies, bees and other such insects. But the toxin can cause killing of such important insects. So, wherever Bolguard cotton seeds will be sown, there pollination process can be adversely affected. Not only that. Honey-bees cannot be reared in the vicinity of such fields.

The Bolguard cotton can kill not only enemy insects etc., but can also kill friendly insects. It has been commonly observed that insecticides have killed organisms like earthworms almost resulting in the elimination of these organisms, responsible for increasing and protecting the fertility of soil. The same can happen in case of cotton also.

Today, the farmers can be enthusiastic that this crop can eliminate American bolworm. But they should also know that every new crop brings its own insects with it. When peasants in Punjab were growing traditional cotton crop, then nobody had heard about American bolworm. Similarly, harmful insects of Bolguard cotton will also appear. It will not be possible to kill those worms with any insecticides. Such a scenario will be worse than the present situation caused by American bolworms.

As every crop brings new insects along with it, similarly it also brings new weeds along with it. As has happened in the case of new Mexican varieties of wheat crops, a new weed called gulli-danda, unknown previously, had appeared along with them. Similarly, Bt. cotton crop which is a GMO based crop, can also bring its own weeds. These weeds, growing along with poisonous cotton crops, will be so resistant to weedicide that it will be very difficult to eliminate them. Already such weeds are in existence. Examples can be given of Gajjar-booti or Congress-grass. Such crop will give birth to super-insects and super-weeds. In such a situation, soil brought under cultivation of such crops can become infertile.

All these aspects should be given serious thoughts by peasants. They should not blindly run after new varieties of cotton crop. The experience of green revolution is a witness to this practice. Sometime ago, a meeting of agricultural experts took place at State agriculture farm at Lodhuwal, where hymn of green revolution were recited by these experts. Dr. S.S. Johal was awarded with Norman Borlaug prize for his contribution to agriculture. But what is the experience of green revolution? It is correct that dependence on imported grain has been reduced due to increase in wheat and rice production in particular. But this wheat-rice rotation, mono-culture, has also resulted in the decease of production of oil seeds, pulses and some other crops. For these crops, this country still depends on import. The fertility of soil has been destroyed by this chemical intensive agriculture and soil of Punjab has become sick. Due to reckless use of ground water, 84 blocks out of 117 have become gray i.e., water table has gone deeper there. Wherever green blocks are existing there problems of water-logging has assumed threatening proportions. The agriculture costs have increased rapidly due to these negative aspects while prices of agricultural crops have not increased accordingly. Result is the bankruptcy and destitution of peasantry. Agreed that green revolution did raise the living standard a bit, but peasants resorting to suicides is also an outcome of this green revolution. In this context, we should take all the concerned aspects into consideration before embarking up the step of so-called “second green revolution”.

Elusive Pretexts and Real Targets of Imperialism

GMO based seeds are being termed as second green revolution. It is also being propagated that second green revolution is necessary to eliminate hunger from the earth. This propaganda is being made by all sorts of imperialists and MNCs. But this is not the reality. According to the available levels of production all over the world every person can be provided with 1.25 kg of cereals, pulses and dry fruits, 0.5 kg of meat and milk and same quantities of fruits and vegetables. But if inspite of huge level of productions of these essential consumer products, people are suffering from hunger from malnutrition, then it means that large number of people are very poor and due to this poverty they are unable to purchase these essential food items in required quantities.

Does green revolution eliminate hunger from the face of the earth? Many success stories of green revolution are related to Asian soil. At the same time two thirds of world’s hungry people also live in Asia. In South Asia, where regions of green revolution are situated, a rise of 9% per capita consumption of food has been observed. But at the same time, a 9% rise has been noticed in the number of hungry people. On the other hand, the number of hungry or starving people has come down from 406 million to 189 million after red-revolution in China. It is quite evident that which of these revolutions, red or green, is more capable of reducing the number of hungry people in a more effective manner.

Actually, imperialists have, through widespread and intensive application of agricultural inputs like chemical fertilizers, machinery, insecticides and weedicides, made the users of these inputs permanently dependent on them. But for one thing peasants were not dependent on them till now and that product/input is the seed. But now by bringing intellectual property rights within the ambit of WTO, bio-farms under the patent-regime, bio-technique in agriculture and terminator seed technique also, the imperialists seed companies are doing their level best to bring peasants in their ever-entangling net. This is the precise target of “second green revolution”.

These seed-producing companies take seed industry as a profit-producing industry. American companies like Monsanto, Novoritis Ceba, Kargill, Gromahac and Duponte are holding dominant positions in seed-markets throughout the world. Ten MNCs just hold 40% of seed-trade of the world. Only thirteen MNCs control nearly 50% of global seed-trade. Only Monsanto controls 10% of world seed-trade. The Chief Executive Officer of Monsanto, Mr. Bobb Sopiero, has said, “It is easy to earn more money from the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter of human beings.” (Third World Resurgence No.100/101 pg. 5)

Comprador Govt. and Fighting People

We have stated earlier that how the US Govt., while acting under the pressure of MNC seed corporation in USA, has permitted the cultivation of GMO-based cotton seeds without any verification of the claims made by these companies and without making its own independent research in this regard. In India, Monsanto has conducted seed trials on its own considerations regarding Bt. cotton seeds. Indian Govt. has allowed the cultivation of these seeds while basing itself on the claims made by Monsanto. As a matter of fact, America has become sole and only super power after the degeneration and disintegration of ex-Soviet Union. Since then, the Indian ruling classes have been searching for new and “special relationships” with this super power. Indian rulers think that to offer floral prayers and tributes on all the wishes of American imperialists is their prime duty. In accordance with this subservient attitude, the Vajpayee Govt. has removed quantitative restrictions, stipulated in GATT, on many items in 2001 itself which were to be removed in 2003. It has been done under the dictates of American rulers. Now, approval for cultivation of Bt. cotton also is a proof of their pro-imperialist nature and comprador character of these ruling classes. On the other hand, the people of the world are strongly opposing these policies. The beginning of this protest and opposition has also manifested in USA itself. The Organic Farmers Association of USA has opposed these GMO based seeds very strongly. Pennsylvania University has rejected all the experiments of gene therapy. 310 scientists from 36 countries have addressed a joint letter demanding as ban on the application of GMO seeds and patenting of bio-forms. The Bio Conference has taken place due to just pressure of the people of the world. Though America and its partners have tried their best to sabotage these conferences, but even then the backward countries have acquired some rights to exercise against the application of GMO seeds. A consistent campaign against these seeds of destruction has been going on all over the world.

In India, the Karnataka State Royts Sangham, led by Mr. Nanjudaswamy, has already come forward in protesting against these seeds. All India Kisan Majdoor Sabha is also mobilizing the peasants against these seeds and policies. Peasant activists should enlighten the peasants on all the aspects of GM seeds in order to mobilize them against this menace. This struggle in essence is a component part of anti-imperialist struggle and should be fought out seriously.