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Karnataka ryots body demands ban on Monsanto's patented food

The Karnataka Rajya Ryota Sangha has threatened to launch direct action against the multinational seed and chemicals company Monsanto if the state and central governments did not ban the genetically modified food patented by them.

Addressing a press conference on Friday evening in Bangalore, Sangha president M D Nanjundaswamy said his organisation would try to ''educate'' the state and Central governments as part of its agitation programme in the next two months. If that failed, the Sangha would resort to direct democratic action like in the past, he said in an obvious reference to the ransacking of the multinational companies Cargill Seeds and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Bangalore.

He claimed that the United States, France and Denmark had already banned genetically modified food and the opposition to the terminator technology was gaining ground worldwide. The company was trying to use the technology in 87 countries after acquiring the patent. Although the Union government claimed that it had banned the technology, no action had been taken against the company, which had been doing research in the country, he charged.

He urged the people to record their protest to the US Agriculture Department, from which Monsanto was trying to get patent for the technology.

He said the politicians should spell out their stand on free trade system instead of condemning the withdrawal of subsidies and import of foodgrains. Subsidies were being withdrawn and imports were being made on the diktat of the World Bank, he alleged.

UNI