ASHA, Civil society representatives & Scientists write to Business Standard on advertorial by pesticide industry NGO on 29/7/2020
Date 3rd August, 2020
To
Mr. T. N. Ninan,
Chairperson, Board of Directors,
Business Standard Pvt. Ltd.
Mr.ShaileshDobhal,
Editorial Lead,
Business Standard Pvt. Ltd.
Re: The disgraceful advertorial published in the Business Standard on 29/7/2020
We strongly condemn the disgraceful and slanderous full-page advertorial published in your newspaper on 29/7/2020 (Page 11) sponsored by Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI), which is the pesticide industry’s lobbying group.
We are outraged that Business Standard chose to publish such malicious and scurrilous personal attacks against a range of individuals under the garb of an “advertorial”. It is very clear that its publication does not meet your newspaper’s code of conduct nor the code or standards of ASCI or PCI, regarding content, and completely negates the high ethical code that the newspaper likes to take credit for. The small paragraph published the next day which says, “Business Standard regrets the publication of the allegations and dissociates itself from them,” is a highly insufficient response for the full-page advertorial. It even appears to be a pre-planned strategy.
We place on record the following points before your newspaper and before the public so that we counter to some degree the malicious advertorial by CCFI, which would have paid lakhs of rupees to Business Standard.
- The advertorial is an unethical, dishonest and misleading attack by the pesticide industry body that maligns a wide range of individuals and institutions – all chosen for their common ‘crime’ of having worked to study and educate society and policy makers about the harmful effects of pesticides. This is reminiscent of the vicious attacks used by the tobacco industry when the harmful effects of tobacco were exposed. Those attacked in the advertorial include widely respected social and environmental activists like Kavitha Kuruganti, Sunita Narain and Umendra Dutt, as well as scientists and doctors from a range of eminent institutions such as IIT Kanpur, National Institute of Nutrition, JNU, Public Health Foundation of India, and several state universities.
Many of us are votaries of ecological agriculture, an environment free of pollution and better practice of science and research in the interest of consumers, farmers, farm workers and the environment. Through this advertorial, a large community of solution-bearers are under attack.
- Business Standard cannot escape responsibility and culpability for this libelous and irresponsible attack, which went to the extent of publishing unauthorized pictures of two persons, both women, while maligning their integrity. The newspaper shouldgive equal space to those attacked to place their rejoinder. The newspaper should stop publishing such advertorials which give license to wealthy companies or individuals to spread misinformation and mislead the readers by appearing like news.
- We, the members of civil society and academia, stand with Kavitha Kuruganti and the other activists and academics, whose names and work have been unfairly tarnished. We have known Kavitha Kuruganti for many years and she is well regarded across India for her outstanding work with farmers and sustainable agriculture for the past 25 years. It defies reason that the advertorial claims she is working to malign Indian agriculture while in reality, she is a person who has provided her energy and leadership to farmers’ movements across the country, and has worked for the welfare of the most disadvantaged sections of the farming community including women farmers, adivasis, dryland farmers and tenant farmers. She has also been a member of several government committees. Kavitha is primarily associated with Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) which is a nationwide network, not a registered NGO, and her living doesn’t come fromany foreign funds.
- The allegation that all the studies that are critical of the impact of pesticides are driven by foreign donors to undermine agriculture is preposterous. This shows the level of intolerance from the pesticide industry to accept critical scientific studies. CCFI is implying that there is a huge conspiracy cutting across social activists and scientists at the best academic institutions to malign pesticides – whereas the simple fact is that India and the entire world have become highly concerned about toxins in our environment, food and water systems. Even the Prime Minister of India has spoken on Independence Day about Mother Earth being poisoned by pesticides.
- While the advertorial seems most concerned about agriculture exports, the fact is that our exports are being rejected not because of Indian studies but because of actual pesticide residues being found.In fact, our trade security has been compromised in numerous instances due to pesticide residues in export consignments and consequent rejections. More importantly, most of India’s agricultural produce is consumed in India. The concern of environmental activists is about the health of Indian consumers, agricultural workers and farmers who are vulnerable to pesticide toxicity, and about the long-term productivity and sustainability of Indian farms.
- The advertorial contains several false statements such as claiming half-truths about Indonesia’spesticide ban, and the cancer incidence in Punjab being one of the lowest in India. It also makes meaningless allegations such as the one about obtaining a copy of a Bill before it is placed in the Parliament. There is no wrong-doing in an M.P. sharing contents of a Bill with civil society groups, and it is in the interests of democracy that all Bills should be widely shared and debated, and inputs provided to the Parliament before the Bill is passed.
We, the undersigned, demand that Business Standard should
- Print the rebuttalby the people named and maligned in the advertorial, giving equal space and prominence
- Make public and review the paper’s policy on advertorial content and approval
- Contribute the revenue from the advertorial towards public good such as pesticide-free farming
- Ensure that the website has “Retracted with Apology” boldly printed and super imposed on the original advertorial with a link to the responses from the people named in the advertorial.
Yours sincerely,
1) Abha Bhaiya, Women’s Rights Activist
2) Adv. Sivakumar, NallaUnavu, Chennai
3) Agrani Social Foundation Vita, Sangli, Maharashtra
4) Alex Jensen, Local Futures
5) Alwyn D’Souza, Indian Social Institute, Bengaluru- Karnataka
6) Anand Mazagaonkar, Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal
7) Anand Yagnik, Advocate, Gujarat Khedoot Samaj, Ahmedabad
8) Ananthoo, Safe Food Alliance, Chennai
9) Anshuman Das, Kolkata
10) Apoorva Oza, Agakhan Rural Support Programme, Ahmedabad
11) Arun Dike, Chairman Rangwasa Jaivik Gram Sanstha
12) Aruna Rodrigues, Sunray Harvesters, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh
13) Ashalatha, Mahila Raitula Hakkula Vedika
14) Ashish Gupta – Trustee – Gram Disha Trust
15) Asokakumar V, Secretary, Kerala Jaiva Karshaka Samithi
16) Avik Saha, National Convenor, Jai Kisan Andolan
17) Avil Borkar, Gramin Yuva Pragatik Mandal, Bhandara, Maharashtra
18) Badribhai Joshi, Shantigram Nirman Mandal, Tanachha, Dist. Bharuch
19) Balaji Shankar, TharchaarbuIyakkam, Tamil Nadu
20) Balakrishnan S
21) Berenice da Gama Rose, Bengaluru
22) Bhagya Laxmi, RRA Network
23) Bibhu Prasad Nayak, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad
24) Bindu Mohanty, Auroville, Tamil Nadu, RRAN
25) BIRSA, Chaibasa, Jharkhand
26) Bittu Sahgal, Mumbai, Sanctuary Nature Foundation
27) C. Bhanuja, Rythu Swarajya Vedika
28) Cara Tejpal, Mumbai, Sanctuary Nature Foundation
29) Charul Bharawada, Loknaad, Ahmedabad
30) Chinu Shrinivasan, Shishumilap, Vadodara
31) Chithra Viswanathan, Chennai
32) CJ Pinto, Mumbai
33) Deepika Joshi, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Chhattisgarh
34) Devesh Patel, Madhya Gujarat Sajiv Kheti Mandal
35) Dhamodaran, Vizhuthugal, Chennai
36) Dilnavaz Variava, The Sahayak Trust, Mumbai
37) Dr Amar Singh Azad, MBBS, MD., Director, Holistic Health Action Group
38) Dr Anamik Shah, Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapeeth
39) Dr Asad R. Rahmani, PhD (Former Director, Bombay Natural History Society); Scientific Adviser, The Corbett Foundation, and Hem Chand Mahindra Foundation; Governing Board member: Wetlands International South Asia, New Delhi; Governing Board member: Bombay Natural History Society; Natural History Adviser: Saevus magazine, and RoundGlass Well Being Portal
40) Dr Ashish Mital, National Secretary, All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha
41) Dr Bharat Shah, Director, Nature Cure Centre, Gotri, Vadodara
42) Dr Bijukumar, Prof and Head, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Trivandrum
43) Dr Claude Alvares, Goa Foundation, Goa
44) Dr G P I Singh, Vice Chancellor, Adesh University, Bathinda.
45) Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad
46) Dr Indira Devi (Retd) Director of Research, Kerala Agriculture University
47) Dr Kanubhai Kalasariya, Sadbhavana Trust, Mahuva, Dist. Bhavanagar
48) Dr KS Varaprasad, Former Director of the Regional Station of NBPGR
49) Dr Minoo Parabiya, Former Professor and Head, Dept. of Bioscience, Veer Narmad University, Surat
50) Dr Mira Shiva -Public health Physician
51) Dr N. N. Panicker, Sahajivan Swaraj
52) Dr Nandita Shah, Sharan, Auroville, Tamil Nadu
53) Dr Ponnammal Natarajan, Retd Dean, Anna University
54) Dr Rajinder Chaudhary, Former Professor, Department of Economics, M. D. University, Rohtak (Haryana) & Advisor, KudartiKhetiAbhiyan, Haryana
55) Dr Sabyasachi Das, Hyderabad, RRA Network
56) Dr Sudarshan Iyengar, Former Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad
57) Dr SuhasKolhekar, Pune
58) Dr Sultan Ahmed Ismail, Soil Biologist & Ecologist, Ecoscience Research Foundation
59) Dr Sunilam, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti
60) Dr Sunita Sheel Bandewar, Founding Trustee, Vidhayak Trust, Pune
61) Dr Uma Shankari, Rashtriya Rythu Seva Samiti
62) Dr V Rukmini Rao, Gramya Resource Centre for Women & Rythu Swarajya Vedika
63) Dr Vandana Prasad, Public Health Professional
64) Dr VS Vijayan, Chairman, Salim Ali Foundation
65) Gijs Spoor, Pondicherry, Agronomist
66) Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), New Delhi
67) Gopi Deva, Organic Farmers Market, Chennai
68) GR Vora, Mumbai
69) Himakiran, Thondaimandalam Foundation, Chennai
70) Jagannathan, Nallakeerai, Thiuvellore
71) Jagdeesh Patel, People’s Training and Research Institute, Vadodara
72) Jayesh Joshi, Vaagdhara, Rajasthan
73) Jiya Mukti Manav Seva Sansthan, Latur
74) K Jagadeesan, Advisor, Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners Association
75) K Ramnarayan, Educator, Uttarakhand, India
76) K V Biju, All India Organising Secretary, SwadeshiAndolan
77) K.P. Illiyas, President, Organic Farming Association of India
78) Kamayani Bali, Mahabal Jan SwasthyaAbhiyan Mumbai
79) Kapil Shah, Jatan- A Mission for Organic Farming, Gotri, Vadodara
80) Karpagam, Organic Farmer, Point Return, Maduranthagam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu
81) Karthik Gunasekar
82) Karuna Futane, Gram Sewa Mandal
83) Kavitha Srinivasan, MAKAAM- Karnataka
84) Kirankumar Vissa, Rythu Swarajya Vedika
85) Mahendra Bhatt, Sarvodaya Worker, Prayas, Mangrol, Dist. Narmada
86) Manab Chakraborty, Partners in Prosperity, New Delhi
87) Manshi Asher, Himdhara Collective
88) Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao Andolan
89) Medha Shah, Weaver Bird- Organic Cotton Initiative, Ahmedabad
90) Meera Sanghamitra, National Alliance of People’s Movements
91) Nachiket Patwardhan
92) Nachiket Udupa, Delhi
93) Neeta Deshpande, Bengaluru, Independent Writer
94) Nisha Raghu, Organic farmers, Coimbatore
95) Norma Alvares, Advocate, Goa
96) P. Chenniah, National Agricultural Workers Forum-NAWF; National Center for Labour- NCL
97) P.S.Ajay Kumar, All India Agricultural & Rural Labourers Association
98) Padmashri Kartikeya Sarabhai, Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad
99) Pamayan, Thaalanmai Uzhavar Iyak am
100) Pandurang Hegde, Chipko/Appiko Movement, Sirsi, Karnataka
101) Parthasarathy, Thiruvallur Organic Farmers Group, Pandeswaram, Tamil Nadu
102) Partik Kumar, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, RRA Network
103) Pervin Jehangir, Mumbai
104) Ponnuthai Sappani, Kalanjium Women Farmers Association, Tamil Nadu
105) Prabhatsharan (Journalist) Mumbai
106) PrabhaYadav, Dr. Ambedkar Ageti Vikas Va Aanshodahn Sanstha, Satara, Maharashtra
107) Pranoti Gramin Vikas Sansatha President : Mahesh PrabhakarGulhane
108) Praveen Singh, Varanasi
109) Prof Duraisingam , Chairman , CREATE, Tamilnadu
110) Prof. Hemant Shah, Economist. Gujarat
111) Prof. Amita Shah, Hon. Fellow , CfDA, Ahmedabad
112) Pushpa Singh, Assistant Professor, Miranda House, University of Delhi
113) Radha Holla, Concerned Citizen
114) Radhika Rammohan, Director, Restore Health Livelihoods and Nature, Chennai
115) Raja Sankar, Sriram Foods, Divansapudur, Pollachi, Comibatore, Tamil Nadu
116) Rajani Dave, Human Technology Forum, Guajrat
117) Rajasree V V, Thrissur, Kerala
118) Ramasubramanian, Chennai, Samanvaya Consulting / Sustainable Livelihood Institute
119) Ramesh, Satvik : Promoting Ecological Agriculture, Bhuj
120) Rashmibhai Shah, Industrialist, Himalaya Machinery, Vadodara
121) Ravi Kanneganti, Telangana Rythu JAC
122) Reggie Dias, Mumbai
123) Richa Audichya, Rajasthan
124) Rohit Jain, Udaipur, Banyan Roots, The Organic Farming Association of India
125) Rohit Prajapati, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Vadodara
126) RohitParakh, ASHA-Youth
127) S Santhi, Freelance Ecologist and Nature Educator, Thiruvananthapuram
128) S Thilak Raj, Managing Trustee, SevaiKarangal, Tamil Nadu
129) Samar Bagchi, Kolkata
130) Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, Social Activist, Lucknow
131) Sandeep Virmani, Develoment Professional, Bhuj
132) Sangeetha Sriram, AEVS, Auroville, Tamil Nadu
133) Sarala Panicker, Agricultural Entomologist
134) Sarvadaman Patel, President, Biodynamik Association of India, Anand
135) Seema Ravandale, People’s Science Institute,Dehradun
136) Sejal Dand, Anna SurakshaAbhiyan, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
137) Shailesh Vyas, Organic Farming Expert, Bhuj
138) Sheelu Francis, Womens Collective, Tamil Nadu
139) Shhravasti Bahudheshiya Sanstha , Kolhapur, Maharashtra
140) Shilpa Vasavada, WGWLO, Ahmedabad
141) Shripal Shah, ASAL Organic Store, Ahmedabad
142) Shruti Shah, Vadodara, Freelance Researcher, Resource person and Documentor (Ecosystem Services, Ethnobotany, Traditional knowledge)
143) Shuba Bharadwaj, MahatmajiSevaSangam, Tamil Nadu
144) Sreedevi, Bio Basics, Coimbatore
145) Sreeja Kappiyur, Organic Farmer and Theatre Activist, Arangottukara, Thrissur, Kerala
146) Sridhar R, Save Our Rice Campaign
147) Srujan, Yavatmal, Maharashtra (RanjitTodsam, Sangeeta Aatram)
148) Suma Josson, film maker (Pune)
149) Suresh Kumar Siwach, Organic Farmer, Haryana
150) Suryoday Bahudheshiya Sanstha, Amravati
151) Sushma Iyengar, Development Professional, Bhuj
152) Swati Desai, Editor, Bhoomiputra
153) T Ramakrishnan, Sathyamangalam, Tamil Nadu
154) Uma Shankari, Farmer, VilVenkatramapuram, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh
155) Umendra Dutt, Executive Director, KhetiVirasat Mission
156) Usha S, Thanal, Trivandrum
157) V Arun, The forest way, Tamil Nadu
158) Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Former Agri Minister(AP), Former MP (LS)
159) Vasant Futane, Beejotsav Group, Nagpur
160) Vidyadhar Date, Journalist, Mumbai
161) Vikas Sahayog Pratishathan , Mumbai (Mr. Mohan Surve)
162) Vikramjit Singh, Mohali, Punjab
163) Vinay Mahajan, Loknaad, Ahmedabad
164) Yogendra Yadav, President, Swaraj India
An official response from ASHA to all allegation made on Ms. Kavitha Kuruganti can be accessed at https://kisanswaraj.in/2020/08/03/response-to-allegations-made-against-ms-kavitha-kuruganti-in-ccfis-advertorial/