Oxygen-fixing

That a disregard for scientific methodology had fuelled Environment Minister Jairam Rameshs veto against introduction of Bt brinjal seeds was evident from his privileging of public sentiment over the institutional process of safety trials and clearance. More evidence comes from a closer reading of his written statement while announcing his moratorium on Bt brinjal: among his concerns,he said,were consequences for Indian systems of medicine including ayurveda,siddha,homeopathy and unani which use brinjal as a medicinal plant. What is revealing is that this intervention was not informed by inputs from the Department of Ayurveda,Yoga,Unani,Siddha and Homeopathy at the Centre,as a senior official told this newspaper.

It is a different matter,perhaps,that alternative systems of medicine are currently being put to careful experimentation,and a big debate is on amongst researchers whether homeopathy,for instance,has any quantifiable benefits beyond the placebo effect. It is,however,more than incidental that experts have disputed the ministers claim that introduction of a transgenic variety of brinjal would have implications for these systems of medicine. These voices of caution broadbase the concern that the Bt brinjal moratorium is ad hoc and fuelled by extra-scientific considerations.

They also validate the kind of urgency shown by the prime minister in constituting a team to take a considered view on the recommendations of the Genetic Engineering Approval/ Appraisal Committee and other panels for GM crops. Other members of the team will be the ministers for environment,agriculture and science and technology. As Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar wrote to the PM,the off-the-cuff nature of the Bt brinjal decision threatened to set the clock back on agricultural growth by disheartening scientists and companies investing research and resources in GM technology. This is why the tenor of fresh deliberations is as important as the minutes of the prime ministers meeting.