Green BPO activist makes Minister see Red
By Suneetha B

There have been few public debates more heated than the one about introducing genetically modified Brinjal in India. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has announced that he has ‘temporarily shelved’ the introduction of such brinjals which had been objected to by farmers, environmentalists, scientists and some governments.

India witnessed some interesting scenes in the lead up to the Minister announcing his temporary ban on the genetically modified Bt Brinjal.  One was that of the ever-pleasant, brilliant Minister in the Government of India, Jairam Ramesh, losing his cool with someone in the audience at the Bt Brinjal meet in Bangalore on Feb 6, 2010. Every TV station ran the clip over and over again. The clips broadcast to the nation showed the Minister losing his cool but not the young man who put the question which triggered the angry retort from the environment minister.

A young man attending the meeting had barracked Ramesh and urged him to discuss genetic engineering as a whole, instead of singling out Bt Brinjal. This led to a word volley and it is reported in the daily Mid-Day that the young man called the minister a 'Monsanto agent' to which Ramesh retorted,” I am sorry, I don't want to talk to health patients and you require mental help." To be sure, this was on the footage of all the National Channels. The young man later denied that he called the Minister an agent but had mentioned only that ‘that the company was a big killer and he got angry. Why he should get angry if I condemn a foreign company?’

Who is this guy who made Minister Jairam Ramesh lose his cool? Techgoss finds that we do know him; He is Santhosh Min B who has been on our pages before. Santhosh is not new to protests and agitations held in public interest. Earlier, Techgoss had reported on how he had pitched a tent at the doors of BPO WNS in August, 2009 to protest against him being shown the door. His offence? He campaigned for more democracy in the Indian BPO sector and contested the Parliamentary elections last year without permission from his employer WNS.

Santhosh is not employed now in the conventional sense of the word, meaning not with any company. But he is certainly occupying himself quite usefully. This time he has got himself even more attention by his word-skirmish with none other than a Minister. Techgoss contacted Santhosh to get an update on life after every TV station repeatedly showed his verbal clash with the Minister. It looks like he is going to sue the Minister for his discourteous words in public to a protestor.

Santhosh sent us a copy of the letter that The Transparency International India, Karnataka Chapter, sent to the Minister in this regard. Justice M F Saldanha, (retd), who is the Chairman of the Chapter, has written to the Minister on February 8, 2010. Here is an extract from the letter.

“
Unfortunately, at the public hearing on Saturday, in Bangalore, the majority of persons who came there and were well equipped to justify their opposition were being heckled and in addition, they were not being allowed to present their point of view.  The impression was gathered that the Government of India, particularly through the Ministry of Food has already decided in favor of Monsanto and the Americans and that those present were wasting their time.  That was why many persons expressed the fear that the Government of India should not function as though it is the agent of Monsanto nor should the Food Ministry create the impression that it has been completely bought over.  There is a realisation in many quarters, which is quite legitimate, that tainted decisions are corrupt decisions. That is precisely where Transparency International India comes in because it will under no circumstances allow this to happen in this case.

One of the main reasons why I am required to write to you in your capacity as Head of the Environment Ministry is that it is a requirement of Law, that public opinion on a crucial issue such as this one, has to be respected and upheld and there is no way that it can be ignored  The media has widely reported that when a qualified young man by the name of B. Santhosh Min, who is a reputed Physiotherapist, Yoga and Ayurveda Expert and a person who has done deep- seated research into this field, tried to put across to you the fact that the introduction of Bt Brinjal will not only ruin but devastate the Indian Agricultural system and through it, the Indian population and the economy,  you were extremely offensive and insulting to him and made a public statement that he should be admitted to NIMHANS.  NIMHANS is a reputed institution, but it is best known as one of the country’s foremost Mental Hospitals.  It is essential that we remind the Hon’ble Minister that he is a public servant and that he has absolutely no right or justification to use such defamatory language in public that too making an open imputation of insanity.

Also that a Minister has no immunity from the provisions of the IPC.  Not only is it in bad taste but it betrays total arbitrariness, a dogmatic approach and complete intolerance, and if this is the attitude, then all these so-called public hearings are a complete eye-wash and are meaningless.
”

Later on in the letter, the respected gentleman has pointed out that ‘It is not an ego issue but it is a legitimate requirement and above all a matter of propriety that an apology be tendered to the young man in question, but more importantly that the Government of India takes cognizance of everything that was expressed at that meeting.”

So Santhosh what’s next?