NEW DELHI: A 'pro-GM seed' movement, which had begun from one district of Maharashtra by defying ban on planting unapproved HTBt cotton two weeks ago, spread its wings to 10 other districts of the state as on Monday even as the police has been trying to find out source of the banned variety of transgenic seed from a farmer ever since he was arrested in Buldhana district last week.

It was the first such case in the state where the farmer, Vasant Mule, was arrested from Umrad village for allegedly trading in the unapproved variety of HTBt cotton. Police had reportedly seized 21 packets of banned seeds from him.

Though the farmer has nothing to do with Shetkari Sanghatana's 'pro-GM seed' movement which was started from Akola district on June 10, its leaders extended their support to Mule. The local court on Monday rejected the accused's bail plea and sent him to judicial custody.

"We morally support the arrested farmer as we believe that he had procured the seeds for planting it in his own 23 acres farm. Farmers have been planting such seeds openly despite facing risk of arrests under existing law as they want to send a strong message to authorities that they actually need it for their survival," said Ajit Narde, head of science & technology cell at Shetkari Sanghatana.

He claimed that the 'Kisan Satyagraha' of defying ban on HTBt cotton now spread from Akoli Jahagir village in Akola district to many villages in Ahmednagar, Amravati, Buldhana, Dhule, Hingoli, Jalna, Jalgaon, Parbhani, Wardha and Yavatmal as on Monday.

The National Seed Association of India (NSAI), which represents top seed companies, however, reacted strongly against the farmers' move in Maharashtra to defy the ban on unapproved variety of transgenic seeds.

"It is appalling that illegality and irreversible toxic contamination is being masked as a satyagraha . India's laws are above GM vigilantism. We support the government and hope that the illegal breeders/traders of HT cotton are punished and a strict investigation should be ordered into how the HT trait escaped into the environment despite GEAC regulation. The responsibility lies with the seed importer, trait owner and GEAC," said Indra Shekhar Singh, programme director for policy & outreach at NSAI.

The 'pro-GM' movement, in fact, spread its wing despite the Centre's directive to Maharashtra about detailed investigation and verification of facts on the ground. The join secretary, Richa Sharma, in environment ministry - a nodal ministry of the central regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) - had on June 12 written to state chief secretary AK Mehta, asking for "appropriate action" to stop any illegal GM cultivation.

Expressing concerns over suspected contamination due to planting of unapproved variety of transgenic cotton, the NSAI’s programme director said, “This contamination threatens the cotton seed sector, we have advised all our members to be extremely cautious. Indian seed companies are in a high risk situation. We hope the Modi government will set a precedent by holding the culprits responsible. We stand for farmers of Akola, and technology, not for NGO's making farmers scapegoats for the profit of a few and crime.”

Taking the act of defiance to a different level, the Shetkari Sanghatana, on the other hand, decided to set up demonstration field trials to show the efficacy and economic viability of HTBt cotton. It also decided to raise fund for the Fatehabad's (Haryana) farmer, Jeevan Saini - who had planted banned GM brinjal in his farm - to compensate for his loss. Saini's standing crop was uprooted and buried after being tested positive for being transgenic crop last month.

According to the Sanghatana, over a dozen "progressive cotton farmers" are expected to declare their intention to conduct demonstration trials to test the efficacy and economics of HTBt cotton.

"The farmers undertaking the demonstration trial will select a contiguous parcel of land, ranging from 1/2 acre to 1 acre. Divide the parcel in to three equal plots, with a gap of six feet of clear ground between and around these plots. A different kind of seed will be planted in each of the three demarcated plots - traditional non-GM cotton, conventional Bt-cotton (BG II) and HTBt cotton. The field trial parcel would be surrounded by suitable non-cotton crops, for about 50 feet, to provide a degree of insulation to the trial," said the Shetkari Sanghatana in a statement.

It said, "Each of the three plots will receive the same treatment. The seeds would be sowed at the same density in these three plots. Irrigation, fertiliser, pesticide, weeding, herbicide, etc., will be applied consistently as per the standard guidelines in all the three plots. The intensity of pest infestation, flowering, ball formation, etc. will be monitored and counted according to standard practices. Records will be maintained in a suitable format, which will be shared with experts for analysis, at the end of the cropping season."

Narde said, "These progressive farmers will invite other farmers, scientists, agronomists, economists and experts to visit the fields to observe the progress of the crop. This is particularly relevant in the context of a complete halt to all formal trials by scientists and companies in India, over the past few years."

