Plug loopholesIt is most shocking to hear about the ill-fate of Indian `basmati' rice exports due to the new patent law problems that have emerged.
While talking to the reporters on the eve of an Asian Workshop on `access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge', renowned agricultural scientist, visionary and expert, and the father of India's green revolution, Dr MS Swaminathan, lamented that India is handicapped in its fight against patenting `basmati' rice against an American company.
It is a fact that the new world economic order and the pervading powerful and decisive world fora are encroached by the Americans and their clowns. Hitherto, India had faced no world competition in `basmati' rice export, except from our neighbour Pakistan. As a result of the new world economic order and signing of the WTO Agreement, the patenting business became mandatory. Americans have exploited the situation to their advantage, pushing India and Pakistan to the background.
The Western minds havealways worked in this crooked fashion. Now it is in the case of `basmati' rice export. Tomorrow, it will be repeated in the case of India's rare and most precious medicinal plants and herbs and the ayurvedic preparations, as the Westerners have found that natural ayurvedic preparations are more effective in curing and controlling many dreaded diseases which the allopathic medicines cannot.
Unless the poor nations unite and fight against the discriminations and evil designs of the developed nations, these sorts of exploitations will go on unchecked, ruining their economy. If it is not possible (if their national interests cannot be protected), the aggrieved and affected poor nations must pull out of WTO.
Lastly, as suggested by Dr Swaminathan, India should seriously think about plugging the loopholes in the existing laws by enacting relevant laws on biodiversity, geographic appellation, patent act, and the plant varieties and farmers protection act. This will empower India to protect our national pride andour economic interests in global business.
I have great admiration for Dr Swaminathan, as he is the `annadaada' to the nation, through his successful implementation of green revolution and I wish him all the best in his new efforts for a second green revolution through rodent control, usage of effective pesticides and improved varieties of foodgrain seeds. Through the proposed second green revolution, I wish to see India emerging as a major foodgrain exporter.
-- Naroor Balachandran
Mumbai
Build a vibrant economy
A spate of articles has been appearing about NBFC's and plantation companies, all of them giving an impression as if these companies from A to Z are fraudulent companies which is not true. CRB has been operating under the nose of Reserve Bank of India at Mumbai with an excellent rating and the company one fine day landed up in a complete mess apparently because of which the whole industry is reeling under crisis.
Worldwide the government of a state is the regulatoryauthority of industrial, economical and social growth which means that they are supposed to be alert enough to see the growth of different industries and automatically introduce controls and regulations to encourage growth and entrepreneurial talents for the country which is the solution for all kinds of developmental activities.
With these objectives in mind all kind of media should work as a source of ideas for the ruling and administrative bodies. What is happening is reverse, which is some how killing all the talent available in the country, to ensure such regulations that the motivation in the individual is totally killed and there is a braindrain in the country there by total violence, chaos and unemployment.
Therefore I would request the media, the greatest source of strength for a country to help build a competitive, encouraging and a vibrant economy.
-- VSV Kumar
Mumbai
