Medical professionals oppose govt’s initiative to introduce GM mustard

Karam Prakash

New Delhi, December 6

After farmers and environmentalists, medical professionals are the next to oppose the environmental clearance of the genetically-modified (GM) GM mustard – DMH 11.

The medical professionals have claimed that their opposition to the GM crop has scientific underpinning.

Demanding a complete ban, as many as 111 specialist doctors in the country have urged PM Modi to immediately ‘nullify’ the release of the GM crop. They are viewing it as a ‘dangerous’ exercise. 

Explaining the harmful effects, the doctors said, “The Herbicide Tolerance (HT) of genetic modification of DMH-11 mustard and its parental lines encourage the spraying of the herbicide, glufosinate. Glufosinate will naturally be absorbed — as higher toxic chemical residues — by this GM HT mustard as well, which will ultimately pass to consumers.”

“It has got the ability to procreate and spread in the living organisms. The impact of GM in farming and food is uncontrollable and irreversible. It will affect both present and future human generations,” said the doctors in a joint statement.

Issuing a warning, the medical professionals wrote in a letter to the PM, “Our entire population consumes mustard as seeds, leaves and oil. As medical professionals, we feel that it is our duty to warn about the serious adverse impacts of HT of GM crops.”

The doctors also added that the herbicide tolerance properties of GM mustard will encourage the use of herbicides which were dangerous to human health.

GEAC already cleared GM mustard 

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), India’s apex regulator of genetically-modified plants and food products under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, has already approved the environmental release of DMH-11.

The doctors demanded that the government should uproot all DMH-11 mustard that had already been planted so as not to spread that in the country. 

The demand to ban the GM mustard is now growing by the day. Farmers, especially those of Punjab, have already opposed the government’s decision to give a green signal to conduct the field trials and seed production.