In order to raise awareness about the impact of genetically engineered
Brinjal, which the government is about to commercialise, an NGO exhibited
them in different parts of the city today depicting how they were being
destroyed in Mumbai.
"The whole idea is to draw consumer attention to food safety issues as
the government is about to commercialise BT brinjal, the first genetically
engineered crop in India," said Campaign Manager Greenpeace Rajesh Krishnan.

The brinjals with a "suicide note" were put in different parts of the
city including Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Fountain, Juhu etc.

The "suicide note" said,"I cannot live in this place where my identity
is being manipulated. For the first time crazy scientists and seed companies
who want profit out of selling my (brinjal) seeds are tinkering with my
genes".

Genetic Engineering is a technology through which new life forms are
created by adding foreign genes from unrelated plants and animals to perform
a desired function.

The techniques are used to artificially confer plants with qualities
such as longer shelf life, higher nutrient content, pest reistant and so on.

"But GE food has not yet been proved safe for consumption. Like any
other unknown drug it can have many side effects. It is dangerous especially
for children," he added.

According to Greenpeace the first GE food crop, BT Brinjal is going to
flood the Indian market soon. Once in the market the consumer will not have
the choice of saying no to GE food and hence this is the time to act and
tell the government that we do not want to eat genetically engineered food,
the NGO said.
[www.hinduonnet.com]