Will Sarson Ka Saag Become Junk?

Fallacious Claims Are Being Touted By The Lobby Favouring GM Mustard Knowing Very Well That The Accompanying Health Hazards Would Be Far Too Grave For The Nation To Bear

- Devinder Sharma

Come winters there is a distinct flavour of sarson ka saag in the air. A mouth-watering delicacy that has been part of our culture for ages. But there are fears that this age-old indigenous delicacy may become a rarity with the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests considering to grant commercial approval to genetically-modified (GM) mustard, Knowing the health hazards that accompany GM foods, people would certainly prefer to stay away from makki ki roti, sarson ka saag.

Logically, there is no desperate reason to genetically modify a food crop that has traditionally been a part of the daily cuisine. Moreover, there is no way to segregate the GM mustard from normal mustard that one can be sure of. Five years after the Ministry of Environment & Forests had in 2010 imposed a moratorium on Bt brinjal, which, if approved, would have been the first food crop in India to be genetically modified, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the nodal agency that grants approvals, is getting ready to give a green signal to Delhi University’s GM Mustard variety DMH-11. The claim is that this GM Mustard gives 20-25 per cent higher yield, and also improves the quality of the mustard oil. It is time to examine the veracity of these claims.