GM mustard opposers to meet approval panel today

Nagpur: Activists and scientists, who are challenging the scientific basis, rigour, competence and integrity of the scientists who developed the Dhara Mustard Hybrid or DMH-11, have come out with proof of rigging of data, manipulations and blatant violation of recommended protocols and guidelines of the regulators, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) and the Review Committee for Genetic Manipulation (RCGM). They are also banking on information gleaned through RTI and hoping the GEAC gives them a hearing when it meets in New Delhi on Monday. The committee will be looking into an application for the commercialization of genetically modified (GM) mustard.
Sharad E Pawar claims that RTI information obtained from the Bharatpur-based Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research (DRMR) shows that DMH-11 was deliberately compared with old and weak varieties to prove higher yields in the GM. “This is in complete contravention to the GEAC recommendations. Non compliance of recommended protocol should actually deem the trial defunct,” the former BARC scientist who was a part of the GM mustard trials told TOI.
Pawar points out that in the initial trial conducted at 10 locations in 2006-07, DMH-1 was found to be superior to DMH-11 at 6 locations, ‘Kranti’ was superior to DMH-11 at 4 locations and ‘Varuna’ superior to DMH-11 only at 2 locations. Strangely, DMH-1 and Kranti were not part of subsequent trials conducted during 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2014-15.
“We will not allow the GEAC to turn a blind eye to protocols that they themselves have laid down,” said Kapil Shah, national secretary of Organic Farming Association of India.
Shah claims that the technology developer Deepak Pental, the former VC of Delhi University, fudged the data for 2011-12 by reporting higher yield in the trials than what was obtained.
“There is indisputable proof that Pental ignored the GEAC recommended protocols completely and manipulated trial protocols with dubious intentions to ensure that DMH-11 would show superiority over the 35-40 year old varieties which he used in the trials to compare,” claimed Shah.
Ecologist Dr Debal Deb, of Odisha, expressed concern over the quality of environmental risk assessment of the GM mustard. “Trial reports suggest that the ecological study was very shoddily done, the data was doctored. There are huge statistical fallacies,” says Deb.