US govt funding 'dubious PR firm' to discredit anti-GM, anti-pesticide activists

The advocacy group Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) has condemned the financial support provided by the US Government to what it calls questionable public relations firms aimed at undermining the efforts of activists opposed to pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in India.

ASHA said, investigations by Lighthouse Reports, shared with global media partners have unveiled that an American PR firm headed by a former Monsanto employee has been profiling and surveilling anti-GMO activists worldwide. This initiative, which involves a private social network known as “Bonus Eventus,” is only accessible to about 1,000 subscribers, including representatives from biotech and pesticide lobbying groups in India, it adds.

The platform has been tracking approximately 100 activists, scientists, and others in India, in addition to numerous individuals globally. “The US government’s relentless lobbying on behalf of the pesticide and biotech industries is well-documented. The corporate agricultural framework in America is heavily reliant on unsustainable, profit-driven technologies, supported by billions in subsidies, and seeks global acceptance for its products,” ASHA states.

Historical instances, such as leaked documents revealing US government officials in India monitoring decisions regarding Bt brinjal, highlight the problematic nature of American involvement in Indian agricultural policy-making, ASHA said. Notably, the efforts of Dr. Nina Federoff in 2010 to promote Bt brinjal exemplify the blatant lobbying efforts by the US, it adds.

Furthermore, organizations like USAID and philanthropic entities such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been known to advocate for sustainable practices that pose risks to Indian agriculture, ASHA asserts, expressing concerns about the Indian government’s susceptibility to foreign lobbying, despite its restrictions on “foreign-funded” groups.

“We demand that the US government cease its interference in the sovereign policy matters of other nations and respect the scientifically grounded concerns raised by activists regarding harmful technologies. We also call upon V-Fluence to halt its unethical tracking and profiling of activists, and to extend an apology to those dedicated to public welfare in India,” ASHA insists.

ASHA's statement further says: “The pesticide and GM seed industries, often intertwined, feel increasingly threatened as awareness of the dangers posed by these technologies grows among citizens and governments alike, leading them to reject GM agriculture. In a bid to silence essential scientific and public discussions that highlight the need to forbid these toxic technologies, the industry has employed Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) tactics to suppress scientific research and publications."

It notes, "Our primary concern is that the Indian government may yield to the lobbying pressure and misinformation propagated by these corporations, particularly if public debate is stifled. Repeated reports indicate that international trade agreements and high-level diplomatic engagements are wielded as tools to influence the Indian government in favor of profit-oriented industries, disregarding the interests of ordinary citizens."

"Despite some encouraging announcements and budgetary allocations for promoting natural farming, GMO and pesticide promotion continues, jeopardizing India's trade prospects, including organic produce, and threatening the food safety of its populace”, ASHA adds.

Comments

Irrational? Basis for fear among Hindus about being 'swamped' by Muslims

I was amused while reading an article titled "Ham Paanch, Hamare Pachees", shared on Facebook, by well-known policy analyst Mohan Guruswamy, an alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Guruswamy, who has also worked as an advisor to the Finance Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, seeks to probe, as he himself states, "the supposed Muslim attitude to family planning"—a theme that was invoked by Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister ahead of the December 2002 assembly polls.

Why's Australian crackdown rattling Indian students? Whopping 25% fake visa applications

This is what happened several months ago. A teenager living in the housing society where I reside was sent to Australia to study at a university in Sydney with much fanfare. The parents, whom I often met as part of a group, would tell us how easily the boy got his admission with the help of "some well-meaning friends," adding that they had obtained an education loan to ensure he could study at a graduate school.

Tracking a lost link: Soviet-era legacy of Gujarati translator Atul Sawani

The other day, I received a message from a well-known activist, Raju Dipti, who runs an NGO called Jeevan Teerth in Koba village, near Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar. He was seeking the contact information of Atul Sawani, a translator of Russian books—mainly political and economic—into Gujarati for Progress Publishers during the Soviet era. He wanted to collect and hand over scanned soft copies, or if possible, hard copies, of Soviet books translated into Gujarati to Arvind Gupta, who currently lives in Pune and is undertaking the herculean task of collecting and making public soft copies of Soviet books that are no longer available in the market, both in English and Indian languages.

Gujarat slips in India Justice Report 2025: From model state to mid-table performer

Overall ranking in IJR reports The latest India Justice Report (IJR), prepared by legal experts with the backing of several civil society organisations and aimed at ranking the capacity of states to deliver justice, has found Gujarat—considered by India's rulers as a model state for others to follow—slipping to the 11th position from fourth in 2022.

Punishing senior citizens? Flipkart, Shopsy stop Cash on Delivery in Ahmedabad!

The other day, someone close to me attempted to order some goodies on Flipkart and its subsidiary Shopsy. After preparing a long list of items, this person, as usual, opted for the Cash on Delivery (popularly known as COD) option, as this senior citizen isn't very familiar with online prepaid payment methods like UPI, credit or debit cards, or online bank transfers through websites. In fact, she is hesitant to make online payments, fearing, "I may make a mistake," she explained, adding, "I read a lot about online frauds, so I always choose COD as it's safe. I have no knowledge of how to prepay online."

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Of lingering shadow of Haren Pandya's murder during Modi's Gujarat days

Sunita Williams’ return to Earth has, ironically, reopened an old wound: the mysterious murder of her first cousin, the popular BJP leader Haren Pandya, in 2003. Initially a supporter of Narendra Modi, Haren turned against him, not sparing any opportunity to do things that would embarrass Modi. Social media and some online news portals, including The Wire , are abuzz with how Modi’s recent invitation to Sunita to visit India comes against the backdrop of how he, as Gujarat’s chief minister, didn’t care to offer any official protocol support during her 2007 visit to Gujarat.

Area set aside in Ahmedabad for PM's affordable housing scheme 'has gone to big builders'

Following my article on affordable housing in Counterview, which quoted a top real estate consultant, I was informed that affordable housing—a scheme introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—has deviated from its original intent. A former senior bureaucrat, whom I used to meet during my Sachivalaya days, told me that an entire area in Ahmedabad, designated for the scheme, has been used to construct costly houses instead.

Just 5% Gujarat Dalit households 'recognise' social reformers who inspired Ambedkar

An interesting survey conducted across 22 districts and 32 villages in Gujarat sheds light on the representation of key social reformers in Dalit households. It suggests that while Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's photo was displayed in a majority of homes, images of Lord Buddha and the 19th-century reformist couple, Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba Phule, were not as commonly represented.

Search This Blog