Release full biosafety data on GM mustard: activists

Non-government organisations on Thursday wrote to Union Environment Minister Anil Dave demanding release of complete biosafety data on the Genetically Modified (GM) mustard.

They also sought four months time to comment on the GM oilseed. “We urge you to extend the public feedback time to 120 days, to get the regulators to put out the full biosafety dossier in the public domain for independent scientific scrutiny as has been done with other GMOs in the past,” said the NGOs in a letter to Dave.

They also wanted feedback to be collected in all forms without any prescribed formats.  More than 90 non-government outfits and some prominent citizens associated with civil society movements are among the signatories.

On September 5, the green ministry published a report on the food and environment safety of GM mustard developed by the Delhi University, seeking public comments in a prescribed format.

The report suggested GM mustard would not cause any ecological damage and is superior to the conventional mustard varieties being cultivated in India. Scientists at Delhi University created three genetically engineered varieties of mustard, which they claimed, would provide better yield than conventional varieties.

The claims were questioned by the NGOs, which also raised objections towards the GMOs carrying a herbicide tolerant gene. While scientists observed the herbicide tolerant gene was used only as a “marker” and did not have any functional role, the anti-GM lobby did not believe the developers. “We are also alarmed at the non-scientific, opaque and deceptive processes being adopted by the regulators in the name of collecting public feedback on GM mustard. Only 30 days of public feedback time has been given, without placing the biosafety dossier in the public domain. There are also restrictions on how such feedback is to be given,” they wrote in the letter.