Archive
India Files Biopiracy Lawsuit Against Monsanto, says Biotech Giant is Stealing Nature for Corporate Gain
Wednesday, 28 September 2011 07:38
‘Representing one of the most agriculturally bio-diverse nations in the world, India has become a primary target for biotechnology companies like Monsanto and Cargill to spread their genetically-modified (GM) crops into new markets. However, a recent France 24 report explains that the Indian government has decided to take an offensive approach against this attempted agricultural takeover by suing Monsanto for “biopiracy,” accusing the company of stealing India’s indigenous plants in order to re-engineer them into patented varieties.
Brinjal, also known in Western nations as eggplant, is a native Indian crop for which there are roughly 2,500 different unique varieties. Millions of Indian farmers grow brinjal, which is used in a variety of Indian food dishes, and the country grows more than a quarter of the world’s overall supply of the vegetable.’
$11 Billion Treasure Found Beneath Indian Temple
July 4th, 2011
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala.
A court-ordered search of vaults beneath a temple in India has turned up a treasure worth at least $11 billion, according to reports from the Indian state of Kerala.
An inventory of what lies beneath the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, as reported on the website Business-Standard.com and others, reads like a prop list from an “Indiana Jones” movie:
* Rubies, sapphires, emeralds and pearls
* Replicas of coconut shells made of pure gold
* Hundreds of thousands of gold and silver coins, some dating to the 16th century
* Gold chains as long as 18 feet
* Solid-gold human figurines and idols
* Crowns and pendants
* Gold and silver bars
The wealth was amassed in at least six vaults, some of which had not been opened in 150 years, according to media reports. India’s Supreme Court ordered an inventory of the vaults after hearing a private complaint seeking “more transparency and trustworthiness in the temple administration,” according to a report on the news website daijiworld.com.
The former royal family of Travancore manages the temple. For an explanation about how the treasure might have been amassed, check out this report from CommodityOnline.com (http://www.commodityonline.com/news/…40475-3-1.html).
The Kerala government said Monday the treasure will remain property of the shrine, according to media reports.
“The wealth belonged to the temple and it will be preserved where it was found. There is religious and historical significance to the findings. The state will ensure its security,” Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the Times of India.
As word of the find has spread, Kerala police are asking for help to safeguard the treasure, according to media reports.
“It is too big a challenge for the police. We have no trained personnel to manage such a huge treasure. We have sought the help of several agencies who can really help us,” Jacob Punnose, director general of the Kerala police, told India Today.
What might the treasure, which the Economic Times of India says is likely the biggest in the country, mean for Kerala, a south Indian state of 33 million people? The Economic Times has some ideas.
Believe nothing 