Last Chance by shreeram kannan

LAST CHANCE

Dedicated to Our farmers of India, especially the small and marginal farmer The farm ecosystem - honeybees and beneficial insects who do not have a voice

We, the farmers of India It all started on the 26th of January 2011, our 62nd Republic Day. I had come to my village to meet my father and grandfather. Usually, at this time of the morning, they are in the fields, but on that day, they were glued to the television, watching the Republic Day parade. I too could not take my eyes off the magnificent sight that was happening along the long, never-ending road of Rajpath: the marching of our different military regiments, each with its own band; the colourful floats from the different states that make up our Sovereign Democratic Republic. The pride on my grandfather’s face – he had been a freedom fighter -- was a sight to behold. At one point, he burst out, “This is who we are as a nation, so diverse, so unique and yet united under one flag, the saffron, white and green, Tiranga”. I too was moved. I am not an emotional type, but when our National Anthem plays and builds up to the last lines… Jaya He! Jaya He!…, my eyes get a little misty. Of course, I make sure nobody sees this side of me. You have to be tough in life, that’s my motto.

My grandfather has played a big role in this. All my life and that is a long period of 25 years, I have admired him. I am a little scared of him as well, but that’s another thing, I do not readily disclose. Even now, at the age of 82, grandfather is so much respected in the community. When I was young, I accompanied him every time he made a speech in our village or in neighbouring villages. Always, he would begin with a call that rang out loud and clear ... Bharat Mata ki Jai! Bhagwan Balram ki Jai! Gau Mata ki Jai! 5

May our motherland be victorious! May Lord Balram, the guardian angel of farmers watch over us! May all our animals and all our beloved cows prosper! Father is more my friend than my elder. Some days ago, he had sent word that I should go see him. Yes, we have a phone in our village house, but he will not use it unless absolutely necessary. You must respect money, he is fond of saying. Money does not grow on trees. But when it came to my education and the education of all my sisters, somehow or the other, father made sure that the money that we needed was there. So, I got a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. In his heart of hearts, my farmer-father must have wanted his only son to follow in his footsteps, but he let me go. To my destiny which I thought was in the world of corporate finance. But now I am digressing... After the Republic Day parade was over, the elders took me aside. Something was troubling them. They asked me if I knew anything about an impending ban on a pesticide. I knew they were talking about Endosulfan because I spend every free moment on the internet and I had come across several reports about the Stockholm Convention which has started a process to ban this pesticide. But I had not paid any attention to these reports. One pesticide is banned; another will take its place, that’s what I had thought.

And that’s what I told my elders. Their faces turned to thunder. Grandfather in particular got extremely wild...“So you think there is nothing wrong in some people in some European country telling us farmers in India, what we can and cannot use? How dare they!” shouted Grandfather. Father also got a scolding...“ I told you not to send him to the city, now see what has become of him! He does not give a damn what hardships will befall us with such a ban!” I wanted to tell grandfather that I did not live in a city. I stay in a wonderful place, but it is a small town at best. Of course, now was not the time to open my mouth. That much sense I had. Father intervened. He is the calm one among us; so composed, so supportive. Like an ancient tree still in all its glory, there to shelter me from the storm. He showed me a newspaper article which mentioned that a study conducted in Padre village in Kasargod district of Kerala held Endosulfan responsible for birth defects, impotency and even cancer. Grandfather erupted once again. “That can’t be! These reports are false! I have used Endosulfan for 30 years and more! Nothing has happened to me or to the hundreds of farmers in this district whom I know as closely as I know my family. Nothing has happened to our children and grandchildren either. Do they think we are so heartless we would use something that puts our children at risk?! We would rather give up

farming, starve if need be, than do something so unthinkable! These reports are false!” Just then, two-year old Guddi made an appearance. She settled on grandfather’s lap and demanded a story from him. Thankful for the diversion, I quickly turned to father. “Why is grandfather so upset? What is so special about Endosulfan? Let the newspapers say what they want. Maybe they are right, maybe they are wrong; why do we want to get involved with all that! If the Stockholm Convention bans this pesticide because it is a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP), I am sure those people will suggest an alternative.” Before father could say anything, grandfather was with us again. He had calmed down a bit; now he was in an ordering mood. “Something is wrong, very wrong. This pesticide has been available in India for 40 years, now all of a sudden, why is there this hue and cry? My sense tells me Endosulfan is being targeted. I want to know why. Find out, investigate what is going on; put your education to good use and get us the truth!” Good Lord! How did I get caught in this Endosulfan controversy! As if I had nothing better to do! Anyway, who did grandfather think I was? Being his grandson was tough enough, now he wanted me to become a detective as well and carry out an investigation!

The next evening when I met Parvati, my fiancée, at our favourite ice cream parlour, I thought at least she would feel sorry for me, but no, she took the order from high command very seriously. She too is a farmer’s daughter, although now she is studying economics and commerce. She is always full of questions. Why this, why that; sometimes it irritates me, but on the whole, I have no complaints. I am truly blessed. I knew it! I knew it! I could see it in her eyes, yes, here it was, the first question. And surely not the last! She wanted to know what the Stockholm Convention was and why I was saying POP, POP. Before I could tell her what little I knew, she had opened her laptop, connected to the internet and within a few minutes had found the answer for herself from the official website of the Stockholm Convention. •

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods and have adverse effects to human health or the environment.

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It was adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004.

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172 countries including India are parties to the Convention.

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It requires parties to take measures to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment.

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Some countries including the United States of America, Israel and Russia have not ratified the Convention. This means that they have neither accepted nor approved the Convention.

I was impressed. This girl was smart. And she was quick. The laptop was put away in the bag and out came a diary. She passed it to me and told me to write Satyameva Jayate, Truth shall prevail, on top of a blank page. I kept looking at her, this wonderful girl who had agreed to be my life partner. But right now she wanted to be my investigation partner. And who was I to argue with that!

The POP Review Committee (POPRC) reviews the submission and decides on the basis of scientific data whether or not to recommend the chemical for listing as a POP.

Where to begin the investigation? Time was short. The Conference of Parties of the Stockholm Convention was due to meet in April 2011 to decide the fate of Endosulfan. We had to work fast. I told Parvati that I would go to the agricultural university; find out what made Endosulfan so valuable to farmers. In the meantime, Parvati should explore the business angle: Who the global market leaders were; when the product was invented, by whom and so on...I told her that it was imperative that she cross check and verify each and every fact. There could not be a single error...Parvati let me finish my lecture and then told me that she expected the same attention to detail from me as well. So much for my being the boss!

The decision to accept or reject the recommendation is taken by the Conference of Parties. This Conference comprises the 172 parties to the Convention.

The visit to the agricultural university was an eye-opener. An eminent scientistprofessor had graciously agreed to spend time with me. This is how he started:

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The procedure for declaring a chemical as a POP takes place in stages. The main stages are:

A party makes a submission to the Stockholm Convention that a specific chemical (pesticide) be considered as a POP.

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A typical Indian farmer is a small, marginal farmer. His land holding is 1 to 5 hectares; there are also thousands of farmers with even smaller holdings, as small as 0.4 acres. For the vast majority of Indian farmers, agriculture is not a business; it is sustenance farming – a way to feed their families and earn a livelihood through hard, physical labour. 11

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Money is required for tillage, irrigation, fertilizers, farm labour and so on. And money is always short. That is why farmer debt is so widespread. What further complicates a farmer’s life is that even after spending money, the results are never certain, because of factors that are out of his control, such as the weather. Just a few rain showers at an inopportune time can destroy his entire crop.

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Another factor that can bring an end to all his hard work is pests.

Another important point: Small acre farming is very physical and manual. For example, a farmer walks his field, carrying a 15 litre backpack sprayer. With his own hands and eyes, he checks whether insects have come into the field and what those insects are. If they are harmful insects, then and only then, he will use a pesticide. On the other hand, if he sees beneficial insects or a beehive in the vicinity, he will not spray.

We often hear irresponsible and unfair remarks made about uncontrolled use of pesticides in India. So before anything else, let me tell you that the Indian farmer uses pesticides frugally and responsibly. To underline my point, take a look at these global consumption figures which I found in a report by Phillips McDougall for the year 2008:

If a farmer does not manage pests, the money that he has spent on all other inputs will go to waste as the pests will destroy his crop.

And mind you, most of India has a hot and humid climate – pests simply thrive and multiply in such a climate! So they have to be managed. The farmer has no choice!

So for a farmer, pesticides are a necessity. They are crop protection products that he needs to safeguard his farm-investments and in turn secure his livelihood.

In 2008, the global pesticides market was US $ 40 billion. In Indian rupees this amounts to Rs. 180,000 crores.

Farmers in USA used pesticides worth US $ 6.5 billion (Rs. 29,200 crores).

Farmers in Germany used pesticides worth US $ 2 billion (Rs. 9,000 crores).

Farmers in India used pesticides worth Rs US $ 1 billion (Rs. 4,500 crores).

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But this does not mean that a farmer uses pesticides irresponsibly. In India, sheer economics prevents this. Pesticides are not handed out free; a farmer has to pay for each and every litre of pesticide that he uses. So, his pesticide use is frugal, he sprays only when absolutely necessary.

This comes to only 2.5% of world consumption.

And yet, with comparatively so little pesticide consumption, India ranks Number 2 in food production in the world.

Here is some more data that shows that crop protection usage is very low in India as compared to other parts of the world.

Worldwide, over 16,000 pesticide formulations based on 1055 active ingredients are used. This is as per the Crop Protection Handbook, 2010.

In India, a little over 400 formulations based on 228 active ingredients are used. This information can be found on the Central Insecticide Board website.

The scientist-professor had got my attention. This point of frugal use of pesticides by the Indian farmer was an important one. Many times developing countries are blamed for being the major culprits in degrading the environment. As far as pesticides are concerned, this certainly is not the case. I was also surprised to learn that it is our Indian farmers who feed most of the world; we rank second in food production; which is a great achievement. But still our farmers remain poor; they do not enjoy the fruits of their own achievement. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help

wondering whether our farmers were even aware of this mighty achievement. And what have we, the rest of us done to recognize and acknowledge it? Our food security lies in their hands, but we just take them for granted. And they go about their work, bent over their crops, day in and day out, just to make ends meet. Their struggle does not diminish. One track in my mind was stuck on the unfairness of the equation between farmers and food production. On another track were questions pertaining to beehives and honeybees. I asked the professor, what was so special about honeybees? Why would a farmer not spray near a beehive? â&#x20AC;˘

The honeybee is precious to farmers because its function is to pollinate the flowers, that is, to move pollen from the male flower to the female flower and in this way to unite the male and female so that fertilization can take place. Once this union takes place, the flower goes on to bear fruit. If the union does not take place, there is no fertilization, no fruit and a farmer has no crop.

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So pollination is as important to crop cultivation as sunlight and rain. And it is the honeybees that help pollination to take place. In India, out of 160 million hectares of land under crop cultivation, 55 million hectares grow crops that depend upon bees and other insects for pollination, said the professor referring to a report obtained from CSK HP Krishi Vishvavidyalaya in Himachal Pradesh.

honeybees. This is the unique chemistry of Endosulfan. This is the reason why Endosulfan and no other insecticide is recommended for use as the first spray during the flowering stage by agricultural scientists and entomologists worldwide.

So now you see how vitally important honeybees are to the Indian farmer. He loves this gift of nature, because without honeybees, he might as well stop farming. Suddenly, from God knows where, a childhood memory surfaced: some relatives who were visiting had seen the droves of honeybees and said... “Wah, wah, gor maharaj are gracing your fields!” Now I knew why they had said that. Just as the maharaj, the priest, joins the bride and the bridegroom in matrimony, in the same way, the honeybee is the maharaj of the flowers, joining the male and female flower, to create the fruit! What a wonderful way to refer to these helpful insects, or what the professor called pollinators. My knowledge was growing by the minute. The relationship between honeybees, pollination and food production had become very clear. But I wanted to know about Endosulfan. The professor must have read my mind for at that very instant he launched fully and squarely into the heart of the matter: •

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Wherever alternatives have been used there have been reports of worker bees from the beehives disappearing and even whole bee colonies vanishing abruptly. This does not happen with Endosulfan. This insecticide allows the farmer to protect the honeybees and at the same time targets harmful pests.

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Another species that the farmers depend upon are the beneficial insects such as ladybird beetle, chrysoperla, trichograma. We call them beneficials because they eat harmful insects that destroy crops.

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Endosulfan is friendly to beneficials as well. This is also very important. Because as long as there are sufficient numbers of beneficials in the field which destroy the harmful pests, the farmer does not have to use any pesticide, or use only the minimum amount of pesticide. This too is a great saving for the Indian farmer.

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What is more, Endosulfan is inexpensive because it is a generic pesticide, that is, any producer anywhere in the world can produce it. A patented pesticide is always much more expensive because the company that has invented it holds a monopoly on it and hence can sell it at whatever price it wants.

Pollinators and pests appear at the same time. So, the challenge for the farmer is to manage pests and yet at the same time ensure that honeybees are not affected and that they continue to do their job of pollination. Endosulfan is the only known insecticide that is honeybee friendly. Being generic, it is also affordable. It targets harmful pests, but it does not destroy

Generic = less expensive Patented = more expensive

As I left the university, it was my father who filled my thoughts. What must he have felt like when I did not show any interest in farming, a tradition that had been in our family for generations? Did he have dreams that one day I would attend an agricultural university and learn the science and technology of agriculture?

Generic = more suppliers Patented = monopoly, only one supplier

When I met Parvati, I was ready with all the points pertaining to the relevance of Endosulfan. I had even made a little chart in my notebook:

I made a note of all this.

So much of farming is linked to economics, I thought to myself. I had learnt a lot. Endosulfan is generic. It is affordable. It is safe to honeybees and beneficials. But on how many crops can Endosulfan be used? I put this question to the professor… •

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Endosulfan is a broad spectrum insecticide: it is effective against no less than 60 pests and over a large number of crops including fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee, spices, flowers, and also for non food crops such as cotton and jute. This means that the farmer does not have to spend additional money to buy a variety of pesticides to take care of the different pests that different crops are vulnerable to. Another important point: There are many pesticides to which pests develop resistance over a period of time. This decreases the efficacy of pesticides and farmers have to use progressively more and more amounts in order to destroy the pests. This means that the farmer has to spend more and more money. However, this is not the case with Endosulfan. Pests do not develop resistance to it. So farmers do not have to spend extra money.

Relevance of Endosulfan •

Effective on a range of pests and in a variety of crops

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Affordable: Less than Rs. 286 per litre (Alternatives cost atleast ten times more)

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Safe to pollinators, that is, honeybees

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Safe to beneficial insects

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Avoids resistance

I had saved one interesting and important fact for last. I read out the professor’s exact words:

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Chemicals are the second largest traded merchandise in the world, next only to oil.

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In addition to its agricultural use, Endosulfan has since 2006 been allowed in the USA as a veterinary insecticide for use as ear tags for lactating cows and cattle for control of ecto parasites. This shows that it is safe for use even on animals.

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Agro-chemicals, that is, pesticides are a very big global business.

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In 2008, the global pesticides market was US $ 40 billion or Rs. 180,000 crores.

Parvati had listened intently but when I finished, there was not one word of praise from her. I wanted to protest, but didn’t get half a chance; she immediately launched into her own presentation. I had never seen her like this, all solemn and business-like, speaking with such clarity and confidence, as if she were delivering a scholarly paper at a conference...

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Out of this, the top three companies, all of them European, accounted for US $ 20 billion (Rs. 90,000 crores). This works out to 50% of the global market.

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Endosulfan is the third largest, generic pesticide in use worldwide, with a global sale of US $ 300 million. (Rs. 1350 crores). Over 40 million litres are used globally every year.

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For more than 50 years, a European multinational was the leader in the manufacture and sale of this pesticide.

Now, why was Parvati telling me all this? Of course, I knew that Europe has a big stake in pesticide business. She saw that I was getting restless. That girl can read me like a book! She gave me a long hard stare as she continued with the journey of Endosulfan in Europe:

In 2001, the European multinational decided to phase out Endosulfan. In 2005, the European Commission stopped its 27 member countries from using Endosulfan. In 2007, the European multinational stopped manufacturing Endosulfan, but continued to sell it.

And again, in 2010, European manufacturer stopped selling Endosulfan and in the same year, the POPRC recommended Endosulfan for listing as a POP. The sequence of events did strike me as being significant. Were these just coincidences or was there more to it? Parvati told me to hold on, there were even more significant revelations that she wanted to share... •

In the same year – 2007 – the European Commission made a submission to the Stockholm Convention recommending the consideration of Endosulfan as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP).

Yes, it is true that the European multinational was the world’s leader and the largest producer and exporter of Endosulfan.

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But in the past ten years or so, another country has taken away an extremely large share of the European multinational’s Endosulfan market.

The European multinational also announced that it would stop selling Endosulfan by the end of 2010.

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Which is this country that has given such a takkar to the European multinational?

In October 2010, at the Stockholm Convention, the POPRC recommended that Endosulfan be listed as a POP.

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It is our country. India has emerged as the world’s largest producer and exporter of Endosulfan with a 70% share of the global market.

“Wait a minute!” I told Parvati. I wanted to examine these coincidences: The European multinational stopped manufacturing Endosulfan in 2007 and in that very same year, the European Commission started the process of getting Endosulfan banned.

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The European multinational has lost its No 1 position and with it a significant portion of its profits.

I could not help feeling a sense of pride at Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial might. Imagine competing with a world leader and emerging the winner! And what a huge setback this must have been not only for the European multinational but also for the European agro-chemical industry as a whole which has dominated the world market for over 50 years!

The European multinational has already produced replacements for Endosulfan. But unlike Endosulfan which is an affordable pesticide, the alternatives are five to ten times costlier than Endosulfan as this table shows...

Then it struck me: Could the real reason for wanting to ban Endosulfan be that it was no longer profitable for the European multinational to produce this generic chemical? If Endosulfan got banned, then in one shot, the competition would get wiped out. More importantly, a large, a very large space would open up for a replacement. If this were true, then grandfather was right. Something devious was going on. But I wanted to keep an open mind, I did not want to jump to conclusions; this was a serious investigation, so I kept these thoughts to myself and told Parvati to continue... None of the above alternatives to Endosulfan are safe to honeybees

I took my time to study the table. Calmly, dispassionately as I have been trained to do. Parvati was right. The alternatives were indeed very costly as compared to Endosulfan. And, none of them were bee-safe products. Now, it all made sense. The facts and figures that Parvati had gathered left no doubt in my mind. I was convinced that: The Europeans were fighting a trade war. Their plan was simple: •

Stop manufacturing the low cost Endosulfan.

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Ensure that no one else produces Endosulfan by campaigning for a ban against it.

At the same time,

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Produce and promote alternatives that are much more expensive.

Of course, I knew that trade wars were not an uncommon occurrence. One business empire fighting against another occurred often enough, within a country and across countries.

But this was different. This trade war went beyond business empires; it was going to ruin a whole section of people – the small and marginal farmers – who had nothing whatsoever to do with manufacturing and selling. This is what made this trade war even more unjust. What is more, Europe was calling for a ban but its most devastating impact was not going to be felt by European farmers. The ones that would lose out the most would be the farmers in poor, developing countries. Why? Because, first of all, insect-pests are not as much of a problem in cold countries as they are in hot, humid countries. We, in India need affordable pesticides to control pests, otherwise entire crops get destroyed and farmers get ruined. Secondly, farmers in rich countries of Europe can afford the five-to-ten-times-more-expensive-than-Endosulfan replacements. But millions of our small and marginal farmers simply cannot. They are already under grave financial strain; any additional burden will simply wipe them out. We sat quietly for sometime. It was as if we were mourning for millions of our farmers. “Exactly how many millions are we talking about?” I asked Parvati. Out came her laptop computer and within a minute she had the answer: As per the Census of 2001, there are 250 million agricultural workers in India. I wondered how many were even aware of the sword hanging over their heads.

I made a silent promise to my father and grandfather that come what may, I would complete my investigation; I would bring home the truth. Parvati’s excited voice broke the silence: •

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If the European Commission had ordered its member countries to stop using Endosulfan as early as 2005, why did the European multinational continue to sell it to the rest of world the till 2010? If they really thought it was harmful, wouldn’t the right and moral thing have been to stop selling it altogether? How can there be one policy for Europe and another policy for non-European countries?

I was amazed at the clarity of this girl sitting in front of me. I wanted to tell her that she should have been a lawyer. She was certainly arguing like one. That night, I attacked the internet once again. I was hoping the answer to Parvati’s question was somewhere out there in cyber space. I did not realize when the darkness outside my window gave way to dawn, till the chirping of the birds announced the new day. I had found some information that I thought was vital to our investigation and I could not wait for evening to come...

We were back at our icecream parlour. I was dying to tell Parvati what I had discovered, but first I reminded her that in 2005 the European Union had stopped its 27 member countries which included Italy from using Endosulfan. However, in 2008, despite the ban, the Italian Ministry of Health and other departments had jointly issued an order allowing Endosulfan to be used for 120 days to save Italy’s hazelnut crop which was being attacked by weevils (Curculio Nucum). Parvati asked me again and again whether what I had just stated was really true. I told her it was true indeed; if she wanted to see a copy of the Italian order issued in Rome on 7th April 2008, I would show it to her right away on my laptop computer. Parvati was thinking aloud, fast and furious: •

Surely the Italian government would not have issued such an order if it really believed that Endosulfan was harmful to health. The Italian government would not risk the lives of its citizens to save a hazelnut crop.

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This clearly shows that Endosulfan is not hazardous to health. It also indicates that the alternatives must not have been effective, otherwise why would the Italian government bring back Endosulfan which it had stopped using as per the European Commission’s directive?

Italian order permitting re-use of endosulfan after its ban in Europe on Page No. 62 English translation on Page No. 63

We were certainly drawing a lot of attention, what with Parvati thumping the table from time to time; her icecream had melted a long time ago... I looked around for our server, when I noticed a gentleman, he could not have been more than 30-35 and he was coming straight to our table. Without any unnecessary chit-chat, he told us that he had heard us using the word Endosulfan over and over again and since he was a worker at an Endosulfan plant, he was eager to find out what we were talking about.

That none of us workers have faced any adverse effects whatsoever completely destroys the credibility of the studies that claim that Endosulfan is harmful. One such study was conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH). Its findings are totally false. And yet, this flawed study has been used as evidence to push for the listing of Endosulfan as a Persistent Organic Pollutant at the Stockholm Convention.

We told him about our investigation. Then he started. The way he spoke, it felt as if he was not speaking for himself but on behalf of the entire workforce...

We, the workers of the Endosulfan plant wanted to stand up against such falsehood. That is why we took out a silent rally. About 10,000 men, women and children walked in a dignified manner along a two and a half kilometer route that started at the municipal school ground and ended at the District Collector’s office where we submitted a memorandum to the Collector demanding the withdrawal of the NIOH report.

You don’t have to take my word about the NIOH report. Our Union has a document that disproves the case made against Endosulfan by NIOH. I will ask our Union leader to send it to you. Read the document carefully, study it and then draw your own conclusions.

But this I will say -- the experience of us Endosulfan workers must be taken into account at the Stockholm Convention. We are the ones who are in closest proximity to Endosulfan. Our health records have shown that there are no

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You may have read reports in the media that make mention of studies that claim that Endosulfan is harmful to health. Let me tell you this – our Endosulfan plant was started in 1980. For more than 30 years, over 3,000 people in this plant alone have handled this chemical. We workers are the first point of exposure, because we handle Endosulfan in a very concentrated form. If Endosulfan was harmful, we would be the first ones whose health would be endangered. But no ill effects have befallen any of us, our children or grandchildren. I have been here for 14 years, but there are many workers much more senior to me, who have handled Endosulfan for 25 years and more.

residues of Endosulfan in our blood. Our blood has been tested to check for Endosulfan residues by reputed internationally recognised GLP laboratories. This has been done not just once, but every two years for the last six years. All these tests have not detected any Endosulfan residues in our blood. My question is: why are these health reports not taken into account? There was pin drop silence when our friend finished. Before we could ask him anything more his toddler son came up to our table. His wife signaled that they should leave. We thanked our friend but he would not hear of it. It was his duty, he said, to let as many people know what the truth really is. It was so very inspiring to hear our worker friend speak. His testimony was a major milestone in our journey to the truth. But, there was so much more that needed to be investigated. We had to find out more about the Stockholm Convention, who those people were, and what they had found about Endosulfan that made them call for a ban. Another issue that worried me was the report about the Kasargod incident that blamed Endosulfan for causing birth defects and so on. How could such a report have come about? What was going on in Kerala? I did not know where to turn or whom to ask for help and guidance. Time was running out. The Stockholm Convention was scheduled to take a decision regarding banning or not banning Endosulfan in April 2011. What if, we could not find the answers before then? How would I face my father and grandfather? 32

We paid our bill, gathered our things and were stepping out of the icecream parlour when we saw our newly-made friend running towards us, holding out a piece of paper. When he got his breath back, he told us, we should definitely talk to the person whose name was written on it. He was the Director of International Stewardship Centre Inc. Now what was I going to do with this Director? Or the International Stewardship Centre? I needed help about the Stockholm Convention. That night as I sat surfing the internet, I checked out on International Stewardship Centre. Our worker friend had taken so much trouble, this is the least I could do. I found out that it is a non-profit organization created to educate and promote safety in all aspects related to chemical substances. This did not appear to be of much help. One minute! What is this… oh my God! They are also observers at the Stockholm Convention! Their Director has attended many of their meetings and has closely followed the developments. I could not believe this! It is at times like this when help comes out of the blue, that I think of God. I know it should not be this way. As grandfather says: “He should be in our every breath and our every step.” But grandfather is grandfather... I requested a meeting with the Director of the International Stewardship Centre to learn more about the Stockholm Convention.

From the moment I presented myself at his office, the Director gave me his full attention. I did not want to waste his time so I got straight to my first concern, which was: •

The live testimony of the Endosulfan workers and the farmers in India is that Endosulfan is not harmful to health. On the other hand, the Stockholm Convention considers Endosulfan to be so harmful that it has recommended that the pesticide be banned. Could the Director share with me, scientific data on the basis of which the Stockholm Convention had taken such a serious step.

The Director was swift with his answer: A committee called the POPRC meets to decide whether a chemical can be recommended for listing as a POP. There are four criteria by which a chemical is judged in order to recommend it as a POP. They are:

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Persistence

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Bioaccumulation

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Long range transport

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Adverse effect on human health

Let’s talk about persistence. The term persistence refers to the length of time a pesticide takes to degrade in the soil. It is measured by way of half life, that is, the number of days it takes for half of the pesticide in the soil to degrade after which it loses its efficacy. Any pesticide with half life of more than 180 days is considered to be persistent. How fast a pesticide degrades in the soil is dependent on factors such as soil type and environmental conditions; temperature and moisture play a crucial role. Coming to Endosulfan: there are several scientific reports that indicate that under tropical conditions, Endosulfan degrades rather fast and the half life is typically between 20 to 70 days. This is far below the 180 day half life criteria to determine whether a chemical is persistent. However, the POPRC chose to take into account a study done in a colder climatic region which showed half life in excess of 180 days. Clearly, this was not representative of what the data on soil persistence was in most parts of the world and it was apparent that this study was chosen so that Endosulfan could be shown as persistent. “But didn’t anyone protest?” I asked the Director.

“Of course there were protests, from a small number of countries including India,” the Director informed me. As an observer in many of the meetings of the POPRC, the Director had himself witnessed how the meetings were conducted. In his own words:

One of the rules governing the Stockholm Convention states that all substantive decisions have to be taken by consensus. This means that all members have to unanimously agree before a major decision is taken.

It has been my observation that any information that is not in favour of POP listing is tactfully ignored. While reviewing Endosulfan, studies that support POP listing were considered and decisions were taken despite significant data gaps. How can an informed decision as regards listing a chemical as a POP be taken when such gaps exist? This is the first of my concerns.

Consensus is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that the decision taken is fair to all countries including minority countries, that is, those countries who view an issue differently from other countries. The minority countries have to be convinced about the issue before a decision is taken and this can only happen through the practice of consensus.

It took me some time to absorb what the Director was saying. All this was a little technical, so I asked a lot of questions to make sure I had understood everything properly. What I concluded was that the POPRC wanted Endosulfan banned, that was all that they were concerned about, the data that supported the ban was accepted and data that did not support the ban was ignored; thus creating the scientific gaps that the Director was talking about.

Unfortunately, all decisions pertaining to Endosulfan have not been taken by consensus.

The Director had mentioned that the scientific data gaps were the first of his concerns. Meaning, he had other concerns as well. Of course, a sharp investigative mind like mine had picked up that point and of course I had to ask him about it. “Yes, I do have another concern.” began the Director...

Instead, decisions have been taken by voting. This is against the rule. And it is very unfair. Voting does not allow the voice of the minority countries to be factored into the decision-making process. Instead, the majority countries, simply by virtue of being the majority are able to push through their agenda. It is a case of might is right. The side which has more numbers wins the day. This is exactly what has happened in the case of Endosulfan. The Director did not have to spell it out. I already knew who the mighty were and what their real agenda was. The meeting with the Director had made me realize how the

mighty were driving the decisions, that is, how they were subtly getting their way at the Stockholm Convention. I remembered another fact that Parvati had told me earlier which was that almost all the chemicals that have been listed as POP have been on the basis of submissions made by the European Union. She had also told me that all of them were generic chemicals. Not a single chemical was recommended for POP listing while it was under ‘patent protection’. This fact struck me as being very significant. I did not want to waste any more of the Director’s time, so I thanked him, shook his hand and was almost at the door, when suddenly, something made me ask, “About the articles that have appeared in the newspapers. What are your thoughts on that?” I described the one that my father had shown me on Republic Day and how my grandfather had been shaken to the core upon reading it. The Director asked if I had read the Kasargod study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) upon which the newspaper article was based. “No, I had not read the study. People like me, ordinary people that is, don’t read scientific studies. We go by what we read in the newspapers.”

Fact Plantation Corporation of Kerala had been seasonally spraying Endosulfan (once or twice a year) in their cashew plantation in the districts of Kasargod and Palghat in Kerala from 1980 to 2000 for control of a major pest called tea mosquito bug. In February 2001, CSE released to the media a report based on a study that it had conducted in Kasargod district of Kerala. The study claimed to have found “alarming levels of Endosulfan residues” in water and human blood samples taken from Padre village in Kasargod district. It also claimed that the “alarming levels” of Endosulfan were causing several health problems including cancer and birth defects. Coincidentally, 2001, the year in which this study was conducted was also the same year in which the European multinational decided to phase out Endosulfan, a pesticide it had produced and exported worldwide without any adverse effects for 50 years. Fact The claim of the CSE study regarding “alarming levels of Endosulfan” is scientifically incorrect. Here are just two examples that prove the falseness of the CSE report:

The Director beckoned that I sit down once again. I told him I was taking up too much of his time. He told me not to worry about that. And then he began. Fact for fact, this is what he said:

CSE Claim Endosulfan residues of 9.19 ppm (parts per million) were found in filtered water samples taken from Padre village. Scientific truth Endosulfanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water solubility is 0.33 ppm. This means that this is the maximum amount of Endosulfan that can be dissolved in water. CSEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claim of 9.19 ppm is scientifically implausible. It completely violates the basic and fundamental principles of chemistry. This is therefore a false claim. CSE Claim 115.19 ppm of Endosulfan residues were detected in the blood sample of Dr. Mohan Kumar, an activist associated with Pesticides Action Network. Scientific truth 0.86 ppm is the lethal concentration of Endosulfan in human blood. This concentration and anything more than this would mean that the person would not survive. No human being can carry 115.19 ppm of Endosulfan residues and still be alive. When challenged, neither Dr. Mohan Kumar nor CSE could explain these unscientific laboratory findings.

Scientifically incorrect CSE study funded by EU on Page No.. 66

Fact Several expert committees have been appointed by the Government of India to determine whether Endosulfan was the cause of health problems in Padre village of Kasargod district. All these committees have concluded that there is no link whatsoever between the use of Endosulfan and the reported health problems. Fact According to information obtained from international organizations, Endosulfan is non-carcinogenic, that is, it does not cause cancer. These organizations include the WHO (World Health Organization), FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization), IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), and the US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). Fact Ignoring the observations of the expert scientific committees as well as the observations of scientific bodies such as the WHO, the CSE and a small group of environmental NGOs got together to create a pressure group to ban Endosulfan. The scientifically incorrect CSE study became part of a systematic and aggressive campaign to create negative public opinion regarding Endosulfan. As a consequence of this campaign, the National Research Centre for Cashew recommended that Endosulfan should not be used for cashew cultivation in Kerala. Thereafter, because of public pressure, the Kerala government suspended the use of Endosulfan all over the state. 41

I left the Director’s office feeling very shameful. How could our own people, use a scientifically incorrect report in this manner to malign Endosulfan? What was really going on in Kerala? Some of the pictures that we have seen in the anti-Endosulfan reports did indicate that there were health problems. If Endosulfan was not causing them, then what was?

incidents reported from certain villages in Kasargod district, no conclusive evidence has been produced to show that the diseases were linked to Endosulfan and nothing else. An independent study demonstrates that the symptoms in reported cases correspond to those of handi godu (a disease) attributed to chronic inbreeding in the region.”

While I was waiting for Parvati, I opened my laptop. Surely someone must have asked the same question: What was going on in Kerala? Just then, Parvati arrived, all huffing and puffing. She was late but there was good reason for that, she said, as she handed over two newspaper articles and a map to me. She would not sit down. She said she would be back in a little while. In the meantime, she wanted me to read the articles carefully, especially the portions that were highlighted in yellow.

The second article, a full page one, had appeared in the Indian Express, New Delhi and Mumbai editions, dated January 30, 2011. The article was titled Kerala’s Pesticide Puzzle and the subtitle read ... “Shaju Philips travels to Kasargod and finds that there is little evidence to link these diseases (congenital and infertility problems) with Endosulfan”.

My God! My Parvati was turning out to be quite an investigator! Here were two articles in two different newspapers written by two different journalists; both the articles pointed to the fact that there was a history of congenital problems in Kasargod and in the adjoining areas of South Canara district of Karnataka. Long before Endosulfan or any other pesticide was ever sprayed, these areas had children with birth defects.

“....Jagadeesh, 40, from a village under the Enmakaje panchayat, is an Endosulfan victim in government records – diagnosed with mental retardation and epilepsy. He was born in 1970, at least 10 years before the first spraying of Endosulfan and even before the trial run began in 1977-78. That he wasn’t enrolled in primary school at the age of six indicates his congenital problems preceded the spraying. His four younger siblings are all married with children who are in good health. Jagadeesh was first taken for treatment only 15 years ago, when the Endosulfan issue erupted.”

In an article entitled Proxy Battle Over Endosulfan published in The Hindu, Business Line newspaper dated 9 February 2011, Shri Sharad Joshi, who is the Founder of Shetkari Sanghatana and a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, has written ... “In the

The following is a direct quote from the article:

Goodness gracious! So there were health problems in Kasargod, but they did not have anything to do with Endosulfan; they existed long before Endosulfan was 43

ever sprayed! Could this be the reason why the CSE study was conducted in Kasargod? If so, the spraying of Endosulfan over the cashew plantation was exactly what these people needed to make a scapegoat out of Endosulfan and link it to the already existing health problems. What devious minds! Shame on them! As soon as I said this to myself, I felt a bit bad. I did not want to jump to conclusions. The evidence was staring me in the face, but still, I wanted to exercise caution. My eye fell on the map. It was the map of India. I put it aside; this Parvati was too much, was she now going to give me a geography lesson as well?! And so I waited. It did not feel nice to have the icecream without her. But she was taking so long! I looked at the map once again; this time I looked properly; it was a map showing the state-wise consumption of Endosulfan. The states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh ranked highest in

the use of Endosulfan. What about Kerala? Why is it that the usage in other states was significantly higher? Was it used only in cashew? Could I very quickly find out this detail? I opened my laptop, and started the search with the Plantation Corporation of Kerala which had used Endosulfan on its cashew crop. That was how the whole controversy had erupted. Thank God, I know my way around the internet; some would even say I am quite a whiz at it....Ah! Here was something... Goodness gracious, once again! Do you know how much Endosulfan was sprayed by the Plantation Corporation over the cashew crop in Kasargod? 300 millilitres per acre! Could this be correct? I checked the figure once again. Yes, it was only 300 millilitres per acre. This is just a little bit more than what a standard size glass can hold! And the spraying was done only twice during the year. In all only 550 litres were sprayed during the year in Kasargod, Kerala. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradhesh and Madhya Pradesh were annually using 10 lakh litres (or 1000 kiloliltres) and above and nothing adverse has ever been reported from those states! Now, I am not a scientist and I am not a researcher, but even my common sense tells me that if I wanted to study the effects of Endosulfan, I would pick a state where there was significant use of Endosulfan; I would certainly not pick an area that has such insignificant use of Endosulfan! This discovery, coming on top of the evidence given in the newspaper reports about

the preexistence of health problems in Kasargod, was too much for me. I wanted to talk to someone about all this. I packed my computer, paid the bill and I was on the phone with the Director of the International Stewardship Centre. I requested, actually I should say, I begged for a little more of his time. Something in my voice must have communicated how agitated I was â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Director told me to come over right away. The tea that the Director provided was much needed. And what is more, he was attending to some phone call, so I could have my tea in peace. Then, when he was back and I was somewhat restored, I told him how much respect I had for NGOs. They do such incredible work. Our country owes so much to them. I told him that it was a good and noble thing for CSE to be concerned about health and the environment but all the evidence that we had gathered indicated that something was terribly wrong. I was full of questions: Why had the CSE conducted the study in Kerala, where there was so little Endosulfan consumption? Why did they ignore the fact that birth defects and other health problems already existed in the area that was studied?

If it had been pointed out to them that their data was scientifically incorrect, if so many government committees had said that the health problems in Kasargod were not linked to Endosulfan – then why were they conducting such an aggressive anti-Endosulfan campaign?

From the financial year 1999-2000 to 2007-2008, CSE received funding close to Rs. 56 crores. In the period of 2000 to 2006 alone, CSE received Rs. 35.36 crores out of which more than Rs. 33 crores were from foreign sources.

What was their motivation? Was it money? • My phone had to ring just then! It was Parvati; she wanted me to talk to her friend’s brother who ran a for farmers. I told Parvati that I was going to be delayed but she insisted that I had to meet the person that very evening, it did not matter how late it got. I apologized to the Director for the interruption. Then I repeated my question, “Could money be the reason why CSE was mixed up in all this?”

1) To sensitize the public to linkages between environmental degradation and health;

The Director looked me straight in the eye and said, “This is a question to which I don’t know the answer. I would not even want to speculate. However what I do have are some facts:

2) Develop policy strategies in the field of environmental health;

•

In a letter dated 10 May 2010, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union has stated and I quote... “The European Union did provide funding to CSE to implement a project on Policy Research and Awareness Creation in the Field of Environment health Interface and Development of an Alternative Pollution Monitoring System from 2000 to 2006. The objective of this project was to:

According to information obtained through the Right to Information Act from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India…

3) Catalyze the formation of a pressure group by providing scientific information on the health impacts of environmental degradation. To achieve this objective, CSE conducted various research studies, provided capacity building, established a laboratory for monitoring air, water and pesticides pollution in the environment and created awareness among various target groups on these issues.

European Union’s letter confirming funding to CSE on Page No. 64 Foreign funding: RTI information on Rs. 56 Crores received by CSE on Page No. 65

Please be informed that...the EU cannot be held responsible for the views expressed by CSE, the results of the study, their correctness or the usage of those results by CSE.” What more evidence did I need! I wanted to hang my head in shame. Do the people at CSE and other anti-Endosulfan NGOs ever think about the scope and scale of the devastation that their actions are going to wreak on millions of our farmers? My father and grandfather filled my mind and heart as I made my way out of the Director’s office. All in all, it had not been a good day. And now this meeting at the farmers mall. God knows what that was going to be like. If I could not find the farmers mall in the next five minutes, Parvati was going to....Ah! Here she was, waiting for me at the entrance of a shop. I asked her where the mall was and she pointed to the shop. This 20 ft x 20 ft shop is a mall! Had Parvati lost her mind?! A young man, not much older than me, was the manager of this shop. He immediately set the record straight. “Yes, we do call this shop a mall, but it really is a one-stop shop for the farmers. We supply all that a farmer needs -- seeds, fertilizers pesticides... even ordinary things like ropes and strings. But what makes us unique is that here, the farmer not only gets

saaman (things) he also gets sammaan (respect). We care for our farmers; we look for ways and means to be of real help to them. For example, we have removed the middleman. The farmers therefore get their products at much lower prices.” This sounded too good to be true but I believed the manager. He was bright, he was sincere, only one thing -- he talked a lot and that too at full speed! And here he was telling us some more... “Yes, I am the manager, but first I am a farmer. Most of the time, I am in the villages, meeting farmers, trying to understand their problems. Whatever knowledge I have, I share with them, and when I don’t know how to solve the problem, I take help from my professor friends at the agricultural universities. Yes, you can say, it is a kind of social service, no problem if profits are small; to be of help to farmers, that is the best reward. “ What an afternoon and evening this had turned out to be! From hearing about Rs 56 crores in funding to listening to this man say that money is not everything! I asked him if he knew anything about the Endosulfan controversy. Of course he had! In fact, he was full of it...

“Let me tell you this is not the first time they have orchestrated a ban. These Europeans have done the same thing earlier with other pesticides. And they always do this with generic pesticides. I have never heard of a pesticide that was banned while it was patented. That would not suit their interests. It is the low cost generic that gets banned and is then replaced with an expensive patented product.

That is just not who we are and how we conduct farming. Let me tell you, without honeybees, the farmers’ eco-system is going to be destroyed and we are going to be ruined. We might as well commit suicide!”

But not anymore! Many farmer leaders have taken up the cause of the small and marginal farmer. Some academics and professors of agricultural universities are also joining in. I am meeting one such professor-turned-farmer-leader tomorrow. Actually, I am catching the night train, but don’t worry, I still have some time to talk to you...

Parvati signalled that she wanted a word in private. She had this bright idea that I should meet this professor-turned-farmer-leader. I said I would. But that did not satisfy her.

Let me tell you what this professor told me. The alternative products are destroying honeybees and other beneficials. In France and Germany where Endosulfan has been substituted by neo-nicotinoids, it has resulted in entire colonies of honeybees getting wiped out. In countries where honeybees have been destroyed, farmers are now buying boxes of bees, and they are letting these bees loose in their farms so that pollination can take place. But what about us Indian farmers? In addition to dealing with power cuts, rising fuel prices, non-availability of water, shortage of labour, how will we cope with the tragedy of paying for very expensive replacement products and on top of that seeing our honeybees destroyed? Our farmers will never buy bees.

These were strong words. They affected me deeply.

So there I was in the night train. After we managed to get our berths, I thought I would get some peace and quiet. But no, the manager wanted to tell me more about the farmer-leader who came from a family that has been involved in agriculture for generations. He and many others like him were starting a grassroots movement to make Indian farmers aware of what was going on. The manager was lending his full support, taking on the responsibility of mobilizing farmers that he was in contact with. It felt good to hear this. As I closed my eyes, I thanked Parvati for insisting that I forget everything and get into the night train. That girl was invariably right! The professor-turned-farmer-leader was very busy man; a very focused and determined man. He spoke his mind and on his mind was only one thing – our Indian farmers!

His words really charged me up. This is what he said...

Reason 3: The decision to recommend Endosulfan as a POP was made despite significant data gaps.

“So far, we have heard NGO voices and other voices. But the farmers have not spoken. This is going to change.

Reason 4: All POPRC decisions relating to Endosulfan have not been taken by consensus. This is not in the true spirit of the Stockholm Convention.

We need to organise rallies in different states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar... One, two, even ten farmers speaking out against the injustice may not be enough. Thousands of farmers need to congregate, stand as one and tell the world to listen to the voice of 250 million farmers of India!

The final decision of the Stockholm Convention is due in April 2011.

The voice of the farmers of India is loud and clear. It says: We cannot accept any move to ban Endosulfan. Here are four reasons why...

We will lose our right to choose affordable crop protection solutions. We will be forced to pay five to ten times more for alternatives which may not even be as effective as Endosulfan. Our farm eco-system will be endangered as many of the suggested alternatives are not safe to honeybees and beneficial insects. We depend on these precious insects. If they are destroyed, we will be ruined.

Reason 1: There is no evidence linking Endosulfan to health problems in Kasargod, Kerala. Reason 2: The Indian farmers’ experience of handling Endosulfan for 40 years has not been accounted for. Our testimony has not been heard.

We have to act fast. Now is our last chance! If we don’t, farmers will be the first casualties.

There will also be other major consequences. Food security will be threatened. Vegetable and fruit production will decrease. Food prices will escalate.

The sovereignty of our nation will be undermined. If we allow a vested foreign interest to decide how we should conduct our trade and commerce, or what we can and cannot produce in our own country, then we run the serious risk of jeopardizing our freedom and independence. So far, it was only our pharmaceutical industry which was fighting the patented versus generic war; now, our agro-chemical industry is under fire; tomorrow, it could be another industry... We must realize that the Endosulfan episode is just one example of how European countries want to undermine India’s economic growth so that they can continue to dominate the world stage in the area of business and commerce.

•

These studies which posed as being scientific were in fact scientifically inaccurate and contained untenable data.

•

Environmental groups linked to European interests had skillfully orchestrated a global fear campaign to malign Endosulfan.

•

This had misled the general public into believing that Endosulfan caused a host of health problems. Adverse public opinion had also forced some countries to ban the product.

We cannot and must not let our independence, our right to choose be taken away from us.

•

The studies, the fear campaign and the negative public perception of Endosulfan – all this was the ammunition that Europe had used to push for a ban in many countries and also to push for a recommendation for listing Endosulfan as a POP at the Stockholm Convention.

That is why we have to stand up as one and let our voices be heard. Now is indeed our last chance. I had learnt enough. I understood what was going on vis-à-vis Endosulfan within India and at the international level. I had facts and figures to back up my findings which were... •

Endosulfan, the low-cost, generic pesticide was being targeted as harmful on the basis of studies initiated by some NGOs which were funded by foreign sources including Europe.

The ban would kill two birds with the same stone: The ban would wipe out the generic Endosulfan and with it, the Indian competition. The ban would open up a huge market for expensive alternatives from Europe-based pesticide manufacturers.

In conclusion: European business interests and not health concerns were at the root of the ban. Health concerns were a clever smokescreen to hide European business interests. I should have been elated that I had conducted a successful investigation. But I was returning home to grandfather and father with a heavy heart. I told them everything. Grandfather asked a lot of questions. So much of what I shared was outside his realm of experience but he was so eager to learn and grasp the facts; suddenly I had become the teacher and he, my ardent student. Then he paced the long verandah. Up and down. It was the end of the day, but he did not look at all fatigued. In fact, it felt as if new energy, new zest had suddenly entered his being. He started making phone calls left, right and centre. Father dialled the numbers, he did the talking. What was the talk about? A farmers’ meeting. Soon, the date and the venue also got settled. The first meeting would be held in the neighbouring village in the primary school compound on purnima, full moon night. Father handed over the dialling to my uncle, took me aside, asked me to write down all the main points that I had shared with them. Grandfather was capable of waking him up in the middle of the night to seek clarification on some point or the other.

Grandfather was still on the phone. His voice reached us on the verandah... “If the health or life of even one child in India or anywhere else in the world was being endangered, I would be the first one to give up Endosulfan. But you know and I know that Endosulfan is not harmful. And yet this pesticide is made out to be the culprit. We are the ones who will have to pay the price of this falsehood...” Grandfather was in full form. Knowing him, he was going to work day and night on this cause. And father would have the tough job of ensuring that he did not overdo things. I asked my father if I should stay over for a couple of days. It was only four days to full moon. The look of utter relief on his face was all the answer I needed. Grandfather’s voice was getting louder... “Do the honourable decision-makers realize the importance of low cost solutions for small and marginal farmers? Do they realize that these solutions not only have to be low-cost but also safe for our honeybees? Do such alternatives exist right now? No, they do not! Then why ban a pesticide that has been such a trusted friend of the farmer for over 40 years? Despite the hallu-ballu at Kasargod, Endosulfan has not been linked to any health problems. So how can they justify the ban?”

Parvati also thought that it was a good idea that I stay back in the village. I wanted to tell her that we made a good team, that without her, this investigation would not have been so rock solid. But this kind of talk does not come easy to me. So many times I have argued with her... “Does everything always have to be spelt out in words?” And her answer, “Yes it does! At least till we develop supernatural powers and are able to read each other’s minds!” I heard grandfather shout out for me. With a hurried goodbye to Parvati, I went inside. Grandfather was still on the phone... “We have to speak up! We have to let our government know that in the interest of the small and marginal farmers, they must continue to oppose the ban. Let every panchayat of every village write to our Honourable Prime Minister about this injustice. Prime Ministerji can urge other countries to defend the rights of small and marginal farmers. Grandfather was out of breath when he finally got off the phone. But it rang again almost immediately. I told grandfather that I would answer. That’s when it struck me: however much I had rebelled, however hard I had fought against it, I was and always would be a farmer’s son and grandson.

The moon was full; the primary school compound was overflowing. Three hundred farmers were already seated and still more were arriving. A makeshift dias had been made, two microphones were in place, it was all very orderly and impressive. There was even a master of ceremonies who at that very moment was introducing my grandfather. And when this grand old man rose, there was a thunderous applause. Grandfather began with a call that rang out loud and clear ... Bharat Mata ki Jai! Bhagwan Balram ki Jai! Gau Mata ki Jai! Three hundred voices repeated the call. It was a moment out of time. I found myself participating with a fervour that was new to me. All the fear and worry, all the admiration and respect that I felt for these men and women who silently go about their work of feeding the world – all these emotions rose to the fore as I called out ... Bharat Mata ki Jai!! Bhagwan Balram ki Jai!! Gau Mata ki Jai!! Then, the hush as grandfather began...We, the farmers of India...

Yes, I would be there with grandfather on purnima night. And if he wanted, I would also speak at the meeting.

Italian order permitting re-use of endosulfan after its ban in Europe

English translation of the Italian order

European Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter confirming to funding the CSE study

Foreign funding: RTI information on Rs. 56 Crores received by CSE

Scientifically incorrect CSE study funded by EU

SPECIAL REPORT

OMNIPRESENT POISON The maximum residue limits for the pesticide endosulfan in soil, water and vegetables from Padre have been breached several times over. But human blood! We couldn’t find any maximum residue limit for that. The tests conducted at the CSE laboratory show that each resident of Padre whose blood sample was tested has endosulfan residues several hundred times the residue limit for water Sample

Detected value of endosulfan1

Water Water Water Butter Cow’s skin/fat tissue Cow’s Milk Cow’s Milk Coconut Oil Cashew Vegetables Human Milk Human Blood Human Blood Human Blood Human Blood Human Blood Human Blood Live Frog Cashew Spices Fish Soil Soil Soil Cashew leaves

1.18 6.87 9.19 14.00 49.99 31.80 57.20 17.00 54.11 31.24 22.40 108.90 114.13 115.19 109.50 196.47 176.90 10.35 3.74 212.28 28.24 35.16 3.17 6.40 6.52

Maximum residue limit (MRL)1

Number of times value exceeds MRL

0.18* 7 0.18* 38 0.18* 51 NA1 NA 0.1 500 0.5 64 0.5 114 NA NA NA NA 0.4-2.0 78-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 0.09* 391 0.09* 35 0.09* 71 NA NA

Site/source of sample

Small stream in Kumbdaje village near Padre Tank near the cashew plantation, Kajampady, Padre The Kodenkiri stream near Vaninagar, Padre From the milk of a cow of Saletadka, Padre From the abdominal region of a cow from Padre From a cow that grasses around Kajampady, Padre From a stall-fed cow in Kumbdaje village Extracted from produce of trees in Vaninagar, Padre From a tree in the plantation near Kumbdaje village

Basale, leafy, spinach-like vegetable from Kajampady Lalitha, 35, resident of Kumbdaje village Vishnu Kulkarni, 16 has epilepsy & mental retardation Prabhawati Shastri, 35 has asthma & skin allergies Mohana Kumar, 40 has chronic throat infection Kittanna Shetty, 21 has cerebral palsy Muthakka Shetty, 50, Kittanna Shetty’s Mother Lalitha 35, resident of Kumbdaje village From a small stream in Kumbdaje village From the plantation near Kajampady, Padre Pepper bunch from Kajampady, Padre From a tank in Kajampady, Padre From Lalitha’s house in Kumbdaje village From a few meters inside the plantation at Kajampady From plantation area on a hilltop Periyal, Padre From the heart of the plantation at Periyal, Padre

SCIENCE FOR ECOLOGICAL SECURITY

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, has recently set up a laboratory to monitor pollution. Its aim is to conduct scienific studies and generate public awareness about pesticides and heavy metal contamination of food, water and soil. It provides scientific services at affordable prices to communities that do not have access to obtain scientific evidence of pollution. This is crucial in, say, a court case that a rural community might be fighting against a polluter. Given the state of scientific research in India – most of it is restricted to national defence and food security – this is an effort to use science to achieve ecological security. The laboratory provides paid services for financially self-sufficiency. The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenaabeit (GTZ) Gmbh, based in Bonn, and the Europian Union have provided the funds for setting up the laboratory. February 28, 2001 Down To Earth

“A Book every Indian must read”

KRISHI HITRAKSHAK SAMITI Mandvi - Kachchh Gujarat, India email: Krishihitrakshak@gmail.com