Amala raps Bayer’s GM rice trials

HYDERABAD: Animal rights activist Amala Akkineni held out a placard which read ‘What would Gandhi have done?’. While those around her mulled the rhetoric question, the actress joined some Greenpeace activists protesting the Genetically Modified (GM) rice field trials by Bayer BioScience, at a press meet on Friday.

The trials are reportedly being conducted in Chinna Kanjarla village of Patancheru since 2006.

Amala stated that it was the right of citizens to fight against GM food and added, “The father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi taught us to protest against harmful programmes.” Amala who came as a Greenpeace volunteer observed: “Genetically modified food brings in irreversible change and also various diseases. It is proven that the modified food weakens our immune system and the body becomes cancer prone.” Amala also shared that the fields nearby the testing centres would get affected permanently.

Amala informed that she will be calling on Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and other Ministers to campaign against GM products. “We don’t want India to become a testing ground as it is very harmful. When all other developed countries have banned GM foods, then why not India,” the former actress asked.

Greenpeace activist Jayakrishna informed that the Bayer Bio- Science company which is holding the rice trials never took permission from the local sarpanch and had violated the law.

About three weeks back, five Greenpeace activists cordoned off a GM rice field trial and planted scarecrows with the words ‘Bio Hazard’ painted on it.

An agitated Jaykrishna said, “We have been charged with three cases which are trespassing, causing damage and criminal intimidation.” He the thundered: They can arrest the activists but not this activism” Jayakrishna questioned, “As a consumer, don’t we have a right to know what kind of rice we will be consuming?” Jayakrishna reveals that the tests are being conducted since 2006. Jayakrishna demanded that Bayer stop testing GM rice in Hyderabad.