Saturday, March 19, 2011

PESTICIDES,FERTILIZERS,PLASTICS, ALCOHOL & airlines




World over governments and countries have understood the importance of sustainable development and the dangers of environmentally retrograde actions. And many countries have started to react positively to environmental depletion. But unfortunately that is not the case in India, be it the various governments that occupy positions both in the states and at the center.
If nuclear power plants  are killers that become infamous through the wide barrage of intense publicity it receives through various mediums, pesticides used in agriculture and farming are certainly silent and slow killers , but devoid of the sheen and the gruesome glamour atomic energy possess...
The foremost responsibility of any government in a democratic political system is the betterment of the populace. But in contrast we have in this country governments and political parties who are intent in destroying the life of its citizens and bequeath gloom for posterity. The greatest misfortune people of India would have is the very governments they elect through suffrage, acting against their interest by lobbying and ensuring free hand for fertlisers and pesticide conglomerates.


Vijay Mallaya is the largest manufacturer and seller of alcohol in the world. He is the largest manufacturer and distributor in India and to poor third world countries pesticides as dangerous as Endosulfan.He is also the largest manufacturer of plastics. In fact he is the largest manufacturer and distributor of unsustainable fertilizers and pesticides. And he has the clout to influence and channel government policies and decisions to suit his commercial illusions, and ventures.

The history and evolution of agriculture pesticides has an interesting aspect.

Toxic chemicals were invented and manufactured by both the Allied and Axis forces in the Second World War. They were used at will in ammunitions and shells on the general population and troops of the adversary. Subsequent to the end of the Second World War, the manufacturers of such toxic compounds saw they were to be rendered job less as the use of such poison ceased to exist. In a brainstorming meeting of the manufacturers an idea evolved to use the poisonous chemicals and its variants as agriculture herbicides and pesticides. The powerful group of such people joined forces and marketed the poison as panacea for crop rot. They literally bought various governments and entrenched themselves. And since then, every grain of soil, land and water world over is being slowly rendered infertile and toxic. (Compiled and translated from Mathurbhumi Weekly)

Agent Orange is the code name of one such herbicide and defoliant used by the USA as a part of its herbicidal defoliate progarmme in the Vietnam War. According to the Vietnamese authorities 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in the death or maiming of 4, 00, 000, and 5, 00,000 children born with birth defects. During a phase of ten year span of the Vietnam War the US military sprayed 8, 00, 00,000 liters of chemical herbicides in Vietnam, Cambodia and the former Laos. The intent was to defoliate the natural forest cover and rural dwellings and eliminating the food cover for the guerillas. This was also aimed at depriving the rural population of life in the country side and forces them to run for cover to the urban areas occupied by the US. Thereby depriving the Vietnamese guerrillas’ chance for base and support. The genesis of the Agent Orange had agricultural research. In the course of a research on the usefulness of a chemical compound in shortening the grain bearing span of Soya, scientist stumbled upon the fact that the chemical can defoliate crops. This was adopted by the US military to concoct a horrendous herbicide.

Imagine the revenue big chemical, fertilizer and pesticide companies will harvest and are continuing to harvest through dumping of toxic pesticides on the farming community and as deadly chemicals inside weaponry. Easier for them because human conflict is unremitting like human blunders and myopia.
                                                              Coffee Maker

And to compliment these endeavors of the business class, the poor mans’, labourers and tillers party the CPI ( Marxist) have made a fascinating inexplicable turn around and  have begun lobbying for genetically modified crops.

11 comments:

dr.antony said...

Like DDT, endosulfan builds up in the environment and in the bodies of people and wildlife, and it is transported around the world via winds and currents. Nearly all other organochlorine pesticides already have been banned.But still,it was being used in the US,and currently legislation is on the way to prevent the use of it.

There are no clear cut data on human effects.This is a very controversial subject.Animal studies show effects on brain development. Endosulphan is one of a kind insecticide,which is effective and can be used at the time of pollination and doesn't harm the honey bees.

Anything can be used or misused.Thousands commit suicide using the organophosphorus compounds,they are cheaper and easy to access.So,can we ban the use of them?

Even pesticides that are reportedly safe to be used elsewhere,cannot be used in places like Kerala because of the dense population.

You are right about our legislators.If Phoolan Devi could sit in the Parliament, Mallaya also can.They either loot or kill.They are all weeds and pests there.The best way to try the pesticides is to try it on these kind of weeds !

Insignia said...

Liquor baron, illegal mining barons, rioters, criminals...only these find place in our political system.

Democracy!

Felicity Grace Terry said...

I saw you on NRIGIRLS friendship tree and wanted to stop by to say hello. Many thanks for such an insightful and thought provoking post. Best wishes PW (I'm the hedgehog on the tree).

anilkurup59 said...

@ doc,
I wonder if any country in the western world use DDT now. Yes we do. And India is the backyard for all banned and restricted matters. The largest ship breaking unit is in Gujarat. And the area is now dead naturally. Remember the French, when they decided to decommission their nuclear powered naval vessel sent it half way to India , and they had to retract only after much protest by the Indian public opinion.
It is beyond doubt that Endosulfan and such high degree pesticides are horrible toxins that can harm more, much more than the perceived benefits from them.
Your statement "Thousands commit suicide using the organophosphorus compounds,they are cheaper and easy to access.So,can we ban the use of them?, I'm afraid is not inspiring.Certainly air travel has it's risk too;people jump before fast moving trains too. The fundamentals in these cases you pointed out"suicide" is different.
The bottom line is, the officialdom and the political clan are in cahoots with the major business interests and are purveying and pedaling harmful chemicals and encouraging its rampant use.The perils are being ignored.
The irony is that new synthetic pesticides bring forth new species of pests. The natural process and resistance of crops to pests are simply lost.The damage to air, water and earth are permanent or long lasting. Think of that and the transient benefits that one might gain.

anilkurup59 said...

@ Insignia,

B do you or I have a place ?

anilkurup59 said...

@ Petty Witter,

Many thanks for looking in. Do visit often and pass your comments and observations.

Happy Kitten said...

and there is an entire generation in awe of Mallya! Can one change their opinion? Can they be weaned? I doubt...

But it is a relief to read you and I hope you get a wider audience.

anilkurup59 said...

@ happy Kitten,,

It is deception in the form of commerce and economics.Thanks for the comment.

paniyan said...

can u give details about vijay mallya's pesticide company and plastic products plz

paniyan said...

can u give details about vijay mallya's pesticide company and plastic products plz

anilkurup59 said...

@ Paniyan,

Please check the Mathurbhoomi weekly issued in the second week of March. alternately you can also quote the article and inquire with Mathurbhoomi