SAGE (South Against Genetic Engineering) and Indian Medical
Association's Madurai Branch (Madurai comes under South Indian State of
Tamilnadu) have jointly organized a joint workshop on "Genetically
Modified Seeds and Foods- An Achievement or a Threat?" for Medical
Doctors in Madurai on 16th June 2008.
The workshop was a result of the initiative by the Tamilnadu chapter of
SAGE, as part of its campaign against Genetic Engineering. SAGE has been
involved in sensitizing the various sections of the society on the
negative impacts of Gentic Engineering and Genetically Modified Crops.
SAGE has earlier organized workshops for local governance bodies
(panchayats), political parties, consumers and academecians. Just a day
before this workshop with Doctors, SAGE has also organized a workshop
for the lawyers and Judges in Chennai, where in practicing Lawyers and
Madras High Court Judge attended and deliberated the legal implications
of the GM crops.
Medical practiceners like Dr Deivanayagam, a Senior Chest Physician and
Advisor- Scientific Committee, to the health Minister shared the
information on the health hazards of the GM products like rBGH,
L-tryptophan and how they affect the consumers health. Later Dr.
Natarajan (General Physician) and Dr. Soundarpandian (Senior
nephrologist) discussed about Genetically Modified Crops and their
hidden Health Hazards.
Dr Nammalvar, the President of the Tamilnadu Organic Agriculture
Movement, while inagrating the workshop, shared and explained to the
Doctors about the implications of the Genetically Modified Crops in
India such as emergence of the resistance to the pests, higher sucking
pest incidence, skin allergies etc and urged the Doctors to keep a watch
on the skin allergies and their link to working in GM cotton fields.
Mr P V Satheesh, convener of SAGE discussed about the local foods and
their nutritive values in comparision to the foods like Rice, wheat and
the GM rice.
Dr Vijayan, Chairman of the Kerala Biodiversity Board shared the
information on the GM cotton's poor performance and the threat these GM
crops pose to the Biodiversity. Ms Usha of TANAL presented the
Regulatory aspects of the GM crops to the Doctors.
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