Conned by Research!

In the last post, we delved into the manner in which the public gets conned by the deft sleight of hand tricks of the FM with tax proposals, which lead you to believe that one has more money in one’s hands, though with one stroke of a roll-back of indirect taxes like Excise duties, the money is back in the Government kitty. Who can match governments, which are empowered by the state to carry out highway robberies, that too lawfully, on unsuspecting members of the public who elected them in the first place?

In this post, my attempt is to highlight the various ways in which “proven research” ushers in newer drugs and treatments without sufficient data to conclude their safety or effective proclaimed actions of the products. One glance at newspaper reports featured in the technology trends sections will tell the story. You will read about how wine is good for the heart and how drinking beer will keep Alzheimer’s at bay!

But nothing whatsoever about the causes of cancer and why the incidence is on the rise and how the medical and scientific community is trying to mitigate the suffering of those affected by it. One wonders whether the Big C that one is afraid of is really the Cancer or the Chemotherapy that one is referring to?

In times, when drug researchers are striving to find “molecules” or substances that treat the ailment with minimal side effects, the announcements of breakthroughs in Cancer treatment are few and far-between. There are some exceptions, though, with a recent news-item of a drug that would treat melanoma. The drug being found effective is undergoing clinical trials. We do not know whether these clinical trials will prove the drug to be safe or will the commercial pressures act to push the drug onto suffering patients waiting with bated breath for new hope to alleviate them of their ailment.

Though we often read in chain mails about food colours, some ingredients of shampoos, some coatings used by manufacturers of noodles, and several such processed food items, prodding us to avoid such products as they are suspected to be carcinogenic, one wonders whether there is enough evidence backed to support the allegation in the first place?

If indeed the suspicions are even remotely true, what efforts are being taken to establish the correctness or otherwise of such claims. Moreover, why is the Foods and Drugs Administrations of several countries not in a position to act and withdraw such products from the shelves of the malls and retail chains in an age where cars are being called back for minor defects?

Isn’t the health and well-being of mankind more important that sufficient research be conducted and official white papers be published to present the public at large with the true position? Activists are being projected as “roadblocks” in the “progress” of technology.

Take the case of the recent opposition to the BT Brinjal crop through the introduction of genetically modified crop (GM) in Madhya Pradesh. The Government of India has drafted the Biotechnology Regulatory Act of India 2010, which is to be tabled in the Parliament in March this year.

Several concerned citizens have objected to a provision in the bill contained in Article 63 of the Bill, which states as follows
“whoever, without any evidence or scientific record misleads the public about the safety of organisms and products…shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year and with fine which may extend to two lakh rupees or with both”.

Read the recent news items in the links below:
The Hindu write-up.

The India Today article

So now, anyone who raises doubts about new BT products can be booked for “misleading the public”! God, lead us to light! Doesnt the Government owe it to the general public adequate research carried out by independent scientific research institutes not having any commercial leanings so that the public can depend on it and know that enough care has been taken for their sake?

Readers would be interested to learn that BT Cotton, which was supposed to be resistant to pests and weather the threat without the need of pesticide, has been found to have failed in its very purpose! Read the news report in the Hindu here.

Instead of having sufficient safeguards and clauses in the deal with cash rich multinationals to ensure effective delivery of promises without unwanted harmful, side-effects and sufficient research to demonstrate both effectivity and safety in all respects, the Government seems to be interested in smothering the voices of activists and well-wishers of our brothers and sisters, the citizens of our country!

It is believed that even whatever scientific research and clinical tests are carried out to prove the worthiness of the products being introduced are being carried out by the very same company and independent research is not being insisted upon for providing governmental clearances!

Now isn’t that a dangerous world we are making for ourselves?
Aren’t we allowing ourselves to be fooled by “research”?

So what can we do now, except spread awareness and raise our voices while its still not law to arrest us?

Also read about the tussle between Ministries over GMO implementation in this blogpost:

Also read Greenpeace's stand on the Bill here: