Ludhiana, February 10
While the environmentalist organisations are basking in the glory after the Centre put a moratorium on Bt Brinjal, noted agricultural scientists, including MS Swaminathan and Gurdev Singh Khush, have backed the decision saying the country was not prepared for it.
Stating that India requires more time to accept the biotechnology in food, father of green revolution, Swaminathan said the decision
was a much-needed step in these circumstances.
“In fact I had also advised Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to put on hold the Bt Brinjal after seeing the reaction of media and environmental organisations. He has done well by doing so,” said Swaminathan.
The expert said while people had accepted biotechnology in medicine as they had accepted vaccinations, they had aspersions on the role of biotechnology in production of food items. “Any technology is a double edged tool. But if it is dealt with ethics, it is for public benefit,’’ said Swaminathan.
Backing the decision of the Union Environment Minister, another agriculture expert, Gurdev Singh Khush, called it a wise action in view of a “feverish” campaign by the media and environmental organisations.
He said though biotechnology is favoured world over and seems to be a solution to pesticides overuse, there was need to give it some more time here.
Meanwhile, Punjab Agricultural University scientists had already voted in favour of Bt Brinjal. They had said the modified brinjal was the only solution to the pesticide
overuse.
