Watching Jairam Ramesh go hyper over Bt Brinjal and then seeing him retract his stance later, I was forced to feel pity: for Bt Brinjal.
Why feel pity for Bt. Brinjal?
Well, Bt Brinjal almost lost a “purple” opportunity to get named as the “National Vegetable of India”!
Yeah, just come to think of it: Brinjal is native to India since pre-civilization times; India produces over 3500 varieties of this vegetable that is called Baingan in Hindi & Begun in Bangla. Also, India is the world’s second largest producer of this vegetable that is called Eggplant in the US. And by these statistics, Brinjal – Bt or no Bt! – deserves to enjoy the “national” status!
However, here, I am curious about our over eager MoS for Environment’s contemplation of granting regulatory approval for Bt Brinjal’s cultivation in India – all in solidarity with India’s “poor” farmers and the even more “poor” public – ever hungry for Brinjals!
Because, like Brinjals, people are in abundance in India! And, honestly, I can understand the Monsanto’s strategy of “testing” Bt Brinjal on Indians in India!
So, did we get saved by the minister’s “moratorium” on Bt Brinjal post severe protests? Well, the minister stated that the “moratorium” on Bt Brinjals would last for as long as it is needed to establish public trust and confidence.
Mr. Minister, how about indulging into “Brinjal diplomacy”? You can organize – in coordination with Monsanto, of course – free Bt Brinjal ka Bhartha camps for the “poor” and gain janta’s confidence for your Bt Brinjal agenda!
Or, if you want to go more professionally, appoint a PR agency to popularize Bt Brinjals through media campaigns besides camps and turn the “Brinjal Tide” in your favour!
Or, may be, you could take your campaign to the Net and have a facebook page dedicated or have a twitter account opened or a linkedin link established or a blog space created for Bt Brinjal! You could successfully kick start your crusade by urging a few twitter-happy colleagues in the Parliament to tweet a “controversial” 140-lettered opinion on Bt Brinjal and you could witness the whole world – India included – going “purple” in the debate: “Bt Brinjal - Bad or Not-so-Bad for humanity”!
Mr. Minister, do I make sense? ... Then say na, “what an Idea, madamji!”
Why feel pity for Bt. Brinjal?
Well, Bt Brinjal almost lost a “purple” opportunity to get named as the “National Vegetable of India”!
Yeah, just come to think of it: Brinjal is native to India since pre-civilization times; India produces over 3500 varieties of this vegetable that is called Baingan in Hindi & Begun in Bangla. Also, India is the world’s second largest producer of this vegetable that is called Eggplant in the US. And by these statistics, Brinjal – Bt or no Bt! – deserves to enjoy the “national” status!
However, here, I am curious about our over eager MoS for Environment’s contemplation of granting regulatory approval for Bt Brinjal’s cultivation in India – all in solidarity with India’s “poor” farmers and the even more “poor” public – ever hungry for Brinjals!
Because, like Brinjals, people are in abundance in India! And, honestly, I can understand the Monsanto’s strategy of “testing” Bt Brinjal on Indians in India!
So, did we get saved by the minister’s “moratorium” on Bt Brinjal post severe protests? Well, the minister stated that the “moratorium” on Bt Brinjals would last for as long as it is needed to establish public trust and confidence.
Mr. Minister, how about indulging into “Brinjal diplomacy”? You can organize – in coordination with Monsanto, of course – free Bt Brinjal ka Bhartha camps for the “poor” and gain janta’s confidence for your Bt Brinjal agenda!
Or, if you want to go more professionally, appoint a PR agency to popularize Bt Brinjals through media campaigns besides camps and turn the “Brinjal Tide” in your favour!
Or, may be, you could take your campaign to the Net and have a facebook page dedicated or have a twitter account opened or a linkedin link established or a blog space created for Bt Brinjal! You could successfully kick start your crusade by urging a few twitter-happy colleagues in the Parliament to tweet a “controversial” 140-lettered opinion on Bt Brinjal and you could witness the whole world – India included – going “purple” in the debate: “Bt Brinjal - Bad or Not-so-Bad for humanity”!
Mr. Minister, do I make sense? ... Then say na, “what an Idea, madamji!”
P.S.: Picture of latest Amul Ad courtesy amul.com
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