Wounded Soldier to Receive Medal of Honor

Army News Service
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2011 - An Army Ranger who lost his right hand and suffered shrapnel wounds after throwing an armed grenade away from his fellow soldiers will be the second living Medal of Honor recipient from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Army Staff Sgt. Leroy A. Petry, now serving as part of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Benning, Ga., will receive the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama on July 12, 2011. U.S. Army photo

On July 12, President Barack Obama will present the nation's highest award for battlefield gallantry to Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry for his actions during May 26, 2008, combat operations against an armed enemy in Afghanistan's Paktia province.

Petry now serves as part of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Benning, Ga.

"It's very humbling to know that the guys thought that much of me and my actions that day to nominate me for that," said Petry, on learning he had been nominated for the medal.

At the time of his actions in Afghanistan, Petry was assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. His actions came as part of a rare daylight raid to capture a high-value target.

Petry was to locate himself with the platoon headquarters in the targeted building once it was secured. Once there, he was to serve as the senior noncommissioned officer at the site for the remainder of the operation.

Recognizing one of the assault squads needed help clearing their assigned building, Petry relayed to the platoon leader that he was moving to that squad to provide additional supervision and guidance. Once the residential portion of the building had been cleared, Petry took a fellow member of the assault squad, Pfc. Lucas Robinson, to clear the outer courtyard. Petry knew that area had not been cleared during the initial clearance.

Petry and Robinson, both Rangers, moved into an area of the compound that contained at least three enemy fighters who were prepared to engage friendly forces from opposite ends of the outer courtyard.

As the two soldiers entered the courtyard, to their front was an opening, followed by a chicken coop. As they crossed the open area, an enemy insurgent fired on them. Petry was wounded by one round, which went through both of his legs. Robinson was also hit in his side plate by a separate round.

While wounded and under enemy fire, Petry led Robinson to the cover of the chicken coop as the enemy fighters continued to fire at them.

As the senior soldier, Petry assessed the situation. He reported that contact was made and that two wounded Rangers were in the courtyard of the primary target building. Upon hearing the report, Sgt. Daniel Higgins, a team leader, moved to the outer courtyard.

As Higgins was moving to Petry and Robinson's position, Petry threw a thermobaric grenade near the enemy position. Shortly after that grenade exploded and created a lull in the enemy fire, Higgins arrived at the chicken coop and was assessing his comrades' wounds when an insurgent threw a grenade over the chicken coop at the three Rangers. The grenade landed about 10 yards from the soldiers, knocking them to the ground and wounding Higgins and Robinson.

Shortly after the grenade exploded, Staff Sgt. James Roberts and Spc. Christopher Gathercole entered the courtyard and moved toward the chicken coop.

With three soldiers taking cover in the chicken coop, an enemy fighter threw another grenade at them. This time, the grenade landed just a few feet from Higgins and Robinson. Recognizing the threat that the enemy grenade posed to his fellow Rangers, Petry -- despite his own wounds and with complete disregard for his personal safety -- consciously and deliberately risked his life to move to and secure the live enemy grenade and throw it away from his fellow Rangers, according to battlefield reports.

As Petry released the grenade in the direction of the enemy, preventing the serious injury or death of Higgins and Robinson, it detonated and amputated his right hand.

Petry assessed his wound and placed a tourniquet on his right arm. He then reported that he was still in contact with the enemy and that he had been wounded again.

After the blast that amputated Petry's hand, Roberts began to engage the enemy behind the chicken coop with small-arms fire and a grenade. His actions suppressed the insurgents behind the chicken coop. Shortly after, another enemy fighter on the east end of the courtyard began firing, fatally wounding Gathercole.

Higgins and Robinson returned fire and killed the enemy.

Moments later, Sgt. 1st Class Jerod Staidle, the platoon sergeant, and Spc. Gary Depriest, the platoon medic, arrived in the outer courtyard. After directing Depriest to treat Gathercole, Staidle moved to Petry's position. Staidle and Higgins then assisted Petry as he moved to the casualty collection point.

Higgins later wrote in a statement, "If not for Staff Sergeant Petry's actions, we would have been seriously wounded or killed."

Petry is the ninth servicemember to have been named a recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. All but Petry and Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta were awarded the honor posthumously.

Army Spc. Ross A. McGinnis, Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor and Marine Corps Cpl. Jason L. Dunham all received the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq. Giunta, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Miller, Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti and Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan.

Petry currently serves as a liaison officer for the U.S. Special Operations Command Care Coalition Northwest Region, and provides oversight to wounded warriors, ill and injured servicemembers and their families.

He enlisted in the Army from his hometown of Santa Fe, N.M., in September 1999. After completion of One Station Unit Training, the Basic Airborne Course and the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program -- all at Fort Benning -- he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

Petry has served as a grenadier, squad automatic rifleman, fire team leader, squad leader, operations sergeant and weapons squad leader. He has deployed eight times, with two tours to Iraq and six tours to Afghanistan.

Petry and his wife, Ashley, have four children: Brittany, Austin, Reagan and Landon

Post-conflict Era to Challenge Military Trainers

By Donna Miles  American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 31, 2011 - With just two months remaining on his brigade's deployment to Afghanistan as part of the 30,000-troop surge there, Army Col. Sean Jenkins has seen the operational benefit of the nose-to-the-grindstone training regimen and nearly back-to-back deployments on his soldiers. A U.S. soldier with 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Red Currahee, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Task Force Currahee, rests after climbing to a mountain top near the area where his platoon secured key terrain in Afghanistan's Paktika province. The soldier's mortar platoon provided indirect-fire support during Operation Red Storm, which cleared the Gwashta Pass, May 23 to May 28, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Graham  "They're remarkable," Jenkins told American Forces Press Service of his 101st Airborne Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team soldiers operating along Afghanistan's long border with Pakistan in remote Paktika province. The colonel marveled at his soldiers' ability to make decisions with strategic consequences in the blink of an eye and to accomplish the near-impossible. Borrowing a quote from Army Maj. Gen. Robert Brown, commander of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, Jenkins said, "I think if we told them to go to Mars in two weeks, they would figure out a way to get there." But as the United States removes all of its forces from Iraq by the year's end and evaluates the situation in Afghanistan this summer with an eye toward an eventual drawdown there as well, Jenkins finds himself among those questioning how to maintain this force after the deployments end. How, after the longest military conflict in U.S. history, will the all-volunteer force downshift from the full-steam-ahead momentum it's maintained for a decade and adapt to post-combat training? "They have seen so much, they have experienced so much, they have been so busy. How do you maintain that?" Jenkins asked. "I don't think [the Joint Readiness Training Center] or [National Training Center] is going to keep them all excited." Jenkins acknowledged that the Army has developed some bona fide "adrenaline junkies." It's not that they want to go to war and get shot at, he emphasized. It's not that they want to leave their families for 12 months at a time. "Nobody wants that," he said. After the current military operations end, Jenkins said, America's combat-tested troops will want to participate in challenging training that'll maintain the capabilities they've worked so hard to build over the past decade. "They thrive on it," the colonel said. "A poor analogy would be that I practice football all season long, but never get to play in a game," Jenkins added. "You are truly there for the love of the game." And for today's troops, "you are truly there for the love of your country," the colonel said. "That's why you are in the military, and that's why you are in the Army. But you don't want to just sit. You have to practice your trade." That doesn't necessarily mean having to deploy to another country, Jenkins said, but will put some heavy demands on leaders to keep soldiers engaged when they return to a post-conflict garrison environment. "It means that we as leaders have to provide them incredibly well-thought-out, challenging, rewarding training, to keep that edge," Jenkins said. "We are a learning organization, and we will have to keep figuring it out." (Editors Note: This the first article in a series about how the Defense Department and military services plan to maintain combat effectiveness and readiness as the current operational tempo begins to decline.)

Related Sites: 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division

"Reapers" mortar platoon soldiers from 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Red Currahee, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Task Force Currahee, clear a cave and secure the area where they will provide indirect-fire support during Operation Red Storm. The operation cleared the Gwashta Pass in Afghanistan's Paktika province, May 23 to May 28, 2011, enabling the first convoy from Forward Operating Base Waza Khwah to Forward Operating Base Sharana in more than two years. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Graham Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Army Sgt. Randy Hiser, a military police team leader from Task Force Apache, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, teaches Afghan police officers the correct way to take down a combative suspect during advanced training at Forward Operating Base Rushmore in Afghanistan's Paktika province, Jan. 20, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zachary Burke  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Military police soldiers with Task Force Apache, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, move behind a truck during a simulated patrol at Forward Operating Base Rushmore in Afghanistan's Paktika province, Jan. 20, 2011. The simulated patrol showed Afghan police officers the proper way to use cover while on patrol. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zachary Burke Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Task Force White Currahee soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, fire mortars at Combat Outpost Margah in Afghanistan's Paktika province, Jan. 24, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zachary Burke  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

Gates, Mullen Praise Efforts of Troops, Families, Vets

By Fred W. Baker III  American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 29, 2011 - Flanked by the memorials of wars past, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today said he has had no greater honor than serving and leading the U.S. military. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates speaks at the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride on the National Mall May 29, 2011. An estimated 250,000 motorcycles participate in the weekend observance, which has evolved into a demonstration of patriotism for soldiers and veterans from all wars. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III  "I will always keep them in my heart and my prayers as long as I live," Gates, who retires next month, told thousands of troops, families and veterans gathered for the annual Memorial Day weekend Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride. Rolling Thunder began in 1987 as a demonstration to bring awareness to the plight of prisoners of war and those missing in action. Today more than 250,000 motorcycles participate in the weekend observance, which has evolved into a patriotic demonstration for soldiers and veterans from all wars. Gates praised the efforts of the organization for ensuring the sacrifices of the military and families are recognized, honored and never forgotten. "For most Americans, Memorial Day weekend is a respite from work," he said. "But for those of us gathered here, it is an affirmation of our commitment to remember those heroes who have fought and died or who have been captured in defense of our nation -- not just this weekend but every day of our lives." The United States has a sacred obligation to those who have borne the heavy burden of service in the past, the secretary said. "The men and women now protecting us on the front lines gain comfort knowing that if today they are missing or captured, we will not rest until they are accounted for and welcomed home to the honor they deserve, even as the conflicts recede into history," he said. Gates said today's troops will join the likes of the veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam as a heroic generation that battled in far away lands to preserve the freedom and security of the United States. "The American people can never repay the debt they owe to those who have fought and served, and to their family members who have stood so strong at home," he said. "Your work, and the sound of your bikes, reminds them of the costs incurred, the blood spilt, and the enduring need to maintain a strong military in a dangerous world." Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen introduced Gates at the event. The chairman, himself a Vietnam War veteran, gave a special "shout out" to his fellow vets. "One of the things that I have seen over the course of these two wars that we're in is my generation stand up in a way that many of us were not allowed to back in Vietnam for lots of reasons, so I'm particularly proud to be a Vietnam vet," he said. Mullen said such events demonstrate to those serving now that America is still connected to its military members. "Everywhere I go these days ... the troops ask me one thing, 'Are the American people with us?' And I can unequivocally answer that, yes, the American people are with our troops," he said. "Based on what I see here today and what's going on over this weekend, that answer is very obvious." Supporting the troops is important during their service, but it is equally important to continue that support after their military obligation ends, Mullen said. "We can never forget their service," he said. "We can never forget them as a nation, and you and many others keep that vigil, keep that very important part of who we are as a nation front and center. And I will be forever grateful that you do."

Biographies: Robert M. Gates Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen speaks at the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride on the National Mall, May 29, 2011. An estimated 250,000 motorcycles ride during the weekend observance, which has evolved into a demonstration of patriotism for soldiers and veterans from all wars. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III  Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

Blogger Honors Fallen, Their Families

By Elaine Sanchez  American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 27, 2011 - About a year ago, I had the honor of attending a dignified transfer for two soldiers who had been killed just a few days prior in Afghanistan. Rather than marked with fanfare, the return of fallen service members who died in combat is marked with a quiet tribute to their service and sacrifice. The transfer is a solemn movement of a fallen service member from aircraft to vehicle to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The night is still vivid to me. I remember shivering from the evening cold as a freezing rain bounced off the fuselage of a 757. And I remember as the carry team, clad in battle dress uniform and stark, white gloves, marched from the passenger terminal to the aircraft, oblivious to the rain or cold. The cases were lowered, and the team carried each one to a waiting vehicle in slow and measured movements. After the fallen were loaded, an airman shut the doors while the military members in attendance gave a slow, respect-filled salute. I remember how the quiet of the night was broken by the sudden anguished cry of a family member just as the vehicle pulled away, en route to the mortuary, with the carry team and official party marching in step behind. I later learned these soldiers' names -- Army Staff Sgt. Michael David P. Cardenaz and Army Pfc. JR Salvacion. Today, with Memorial Day so close at hand, these soldiers came to mind, as well as the thousands of other service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. And my thoughts turn to their families, who also made their own unimaginable sacrifice. Like many Americans, I plan to enjoy a day off from work with my family on Monday. But I also will pause to remember service members, like Cardenaz and Salvacion, whose lives signify courage, sacrifice and honor. And I will remember their families, who will mark the holiday without a loved one at their side. Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on the importance of remembering fallen service members and their families on Memorial Day, and every day, in a recent blog post. "The pain of such loss is incalculable. But we can, and we should, promise them that we will remember those who lived and loved and fought for this country — a young man or woman who, when duty called, performed that duty nobly and with passion," she wrote. "We can, and we should, take pains to remember also the special needs of surviving family members, especially the children. Theirs will be an extraordinary life. "If it's true that a nation defines itself by those it honors, let us also define ourselves by those we support."

Related Sites: AFPS Family Matters Blog Special Report: Dignity, Honor, Respect for the Fallen

Dr Kunal Jain is available at CMC Ludhiana

Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana offers comprehensive oncology services for the care of cancer patients and their families. Dr Kunal Jain has recently joined as a consultant in medical oncology after completing 3 years of advanced training in Medical Oncology from Australia. He completed his MBBS and MD from CMC Ludhiana and then trained as an advanced trainee in Medical Oncology at Royal Adelaide Hospital for 2 years. He also had the opportunity of working as a Research Fellow in Medical Oncology at Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia for 1 year and was involved in many clinical trials. He specializes in breast, lung, colorectal and oral cancers and also has keen interest in cancer research.

Dr Kunal Jain

With addition of full time Medical Oncology services, CMC Ludhiana has now got a complete range of oncology services including

1.      Hematology and bone marrow transplant services

2.      State of the art Radiation Oncology facilities

3.      Pain and palliative care services

4.      Intervention Radiology facilities 

5.      Experienced Surgical units including various super-specialties.

6.      Special laboratory facilities for oncology patients.

Director, Dr Abraham G Thomas added that with all these services coming under one roof, it would be even more convenient for the cancer patients of this region. CMC Ludhiana is known for its highly motivated staff providing compassionate and quality patient care.

Dr Jain is available for OPD consultations between 11am – 2pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. For any further inquiries, please contact Oncology Office: 0161-5037957, Oncology Helpline: 9780005333 or Email: cmc.oncology@yahoo.com 

By Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria 

Soldier Notes 26 Years of Change

By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service COMBAT OUTPOST MUNOZ, Afghanistan, May 26, 2011 - "We have war stories; he has Civil War stories." "He talks about his first squad, muskets all on line ..." His fellow infantrymen seldom run short of jokes about one noncommissioned officer here. Army Staff Sgt. William Billett first joined the Army in January 1985, served eight years and got out. "I was out for 14 years," he said. "Right after my son came in, I came back in." Billett originally served in the anti-armor infantry, and rejoined the infantry when he returned to the Army in 2006. He currently works as the operations noncommissioned officer for Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team. Billett's company is based in eastern Paktika province, along the border with Pakistan, but the staff sergeant performed a special duty elsewhere in Afghanistan midway through his tour. Billett's son, Army Sgt. Timothy Billett, recently returned to Fort Campbell, Ky., from a deployment with the division's 1st Brigade. Billett pinned his son's Purple Heart on him last Thanksgiving at Kabul. His son was wounded when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle. His son is with the military police, Billett said, but while on deployment went on patrols and effectively acted as infantry. "He's in a close-knit unit," he said. "It's a pretty good bunch." Billett commended his wife, Beth, for her strength over the years. This deployment marked the second time both her husband and son deployed at the same time; the two also shared a tour of duty in Iraq. "I don't know how she does it," he said. "I have a hard time with my son deployed. I worry about him. I don't know how she can deal with it with both of us gone, and last time was for 15 months. She's good." Billett said he had a "break in service" in his marriage, too. He and his wife divorced for five years, then remarried in 2000. "She's a stronger person than I am," he said. "I've got my head on a little bit straighter than I used to." Billett was 39 when he came back in the Army. He went through a five-week warrior transition course and then completed infantry advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Ga., he said. "I've only got about six years left until I retire, so if my body holds out, I'll stay," he said. "This deployment I've been working operations, and I've only been out on one patrol. It hasn't been too bad." Billett noted the changes he's seen in the Army over the years. The only thing about the Army that's the same now as when he first joined, he said, is the .50 caliber. "Technologywise, it's leaps and bounds from when I was in last time," he said. "The mentality is different. The combat's harder, but life back in garrison, I think, is easier." Before the technology that put surveillance platforms and satellite phones on the battlefield, Billett said, "your job was easier, but it made it harder to coordinate. Out here, we wouldn't be able to call for help, because radios don't reach that far." The Army also is much more family oriented than it used to be, he said. "That's a huge change. When I was in before, we would go to the field for 30, 45 days at a time every three months. Now, they pretty much don't go for more than two weeks ... which is nice. I don't mind that at all." Time with family is critical to today's soldiers, Billett noted. "Some of these guys are on their fifth deployment," he said. "They've got kids that they've been away from more than they've been with, and that's hard." The staff sergeant said he's looking forward to the end of his deployment, which will come in about two months. "We've got a cruise booked for Nassau, the Bahamas, during block leave," Billett said. "Then get back and pack, because we're [moving] to Fort Sill, Oklahoma."

Related Sites: Special Report: Afghanistan 2011

Beej Swaraj Conference on Monday at Ludhiana

For Seed Sovereignty Agriculture and Food Security 

To save seed-agriculture and food sovereignty of country

To stop IPRs on seeds/germplasm/planting material or products

To reclaim farmers’ inherent natural right over seeds as real custodian

To protect our seeds and food from being contaminated by Genetic modification 

To protect Seed research in public sector and seed public sector institutions

Become a part of 3rd War of Independence, Be a savior of nation’s freedom   

Seed Sovereignty for Farmers’ freedom and Nation’s food security

Photo Courtesy: Hamara Beej

Beej Swaraj Conference

Monday, 30^th May 2011

10 AM onwards

Punjabi Bhawan, Ludhiana

Seed is not a commodity, but the basis for food security and national sovereignty

Issues to be discussed:

1. Constitutional issues
Several laws related to farming are proposed to be tabled in the Union Parliament even though 'agriculture' is a State subject. Entry 14 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India (that includes matters on which the Legislature of the State has powers to make laws) reads: "Agriculture, including agricultural education and research, protection against pests and prevention of plant diseases."
2. Seed Bill, 2010
Changes to the existing Seed Act (1966) have been on the cards since even before 2004; a revised Bill is pending passage in both houses of the Indian Parliament. The text of the proposed Bill has not been made open. The new seed law will not help farmers' seeds, on the contrary it might outlaw the sale of seeds that do not meet (industry) standards of 'quality'. Moreover, the Bill does not prohibit the registration of transgenic seeds for sale.
3. BRAI Bill
The country's rules for GMOs date back to 1989; they are on the brink of being revamped through a new law. This new biosafety law that proposes to set up a regulatory authority is being pushed by the Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Official discussions are focussed on a proposed BRAI (Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India) Bill, the text of which is marked as 'secret'!

Special Guests:

Vijay Jardhari, Seed Keeper farmer, Uttrakhand

Yudhvir Singh , National General Secretary , BKU- Tiket

Shalini Bhutani, Ecological Agriculture Activist, Delhi

Speakers:

Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan( BKU-Ekta Ugrahan)

Sukhdev Singh Bhopal (Manav Kudrat Kendrit Lok Lehar)

Pishora Singh Sidhupur (BKU-Ekta Sidhupur)

Lehmber Singh Taggar (All India Kisan Sabha)

Satnam Singh Pannu (Kisan Sanghersh Committee)

Balraj Singh Rana (Punjab Kisan Union)

Jasdev Singh Jassoval

Prof Jagmohan Singh

Dr Inderjeet Kaur

Dr Amar Singh Azad

Dr Arun Mittra

Satnam Singh Manak

Dr Ernest Albert

Let us not forget what Kissinger-Doctrine says, "you control petrol, you control nations and if you control food, you control people"....we don't need to find out that this doctrine is still the backbone of US police in certain matters"

Since a nation’s food sovereignty as well as farming communities’ livelihoods is closely linked to seed sovereignty – who controls what seed is supplied, when, in what quantities, with what restrictions, at what prices and so on. This is closely connected to allowing most seed trade to be taken over by the private sector, coupled with legal regimes that allow for exclusive marketing rights in the hands of a handful of companies, along with monocultures encouraged of a few crops and few varieties even as farmers are encouraged to move away from their traditional systems of seed breeding, selection, saving and exchange. Policy makers and planners have to appreciate the intrinsic potential dangers of such a scenario; this is further borne out by the example of cotton seed in India, where an overwhelming majority of the market today is controlled by one large seed company in numerous ways; further, non-GM cotton seed is not available in the market and seed pricing has become a vexatious issue where state governments that want to protect farmers’ interests are being confronted by the seed companies against any statutory framework that regulates price and are even threatening to stop supply of seed – meanwhile, physical seed stocks with farmers and others have disappeared during the period that they depended on company-supplied seed. This scenario is potentially possible with other crops too and Seed Sovereignty is an issue that the government has to take seriously.

·         The seed industry seems to believe that their returns can be maximized and their R&D efforts rewarded only if exclusive ‘ownership’ rights are conferred, linked to marketing rights of course. Civil society groups including farmers’ organizations believe that this is antithetical to the very culture of agriculture in India, which thrived for thousands of years due to the open sharing of resources including knowledge.

·         Let us demand that Agri-research and extension systems have to prioritise in their projects and outlays, varietal development and distribution; farmer-led, participatory breeding programmes are to be prioritized to address issues of quality and local suitability.

·         For all those seed technologies which bring in potential environmental and health hazards, such seed should be allowed even for open air trials only if there are no other alternatives present and after biosafety has been cleared through independent, long term testing in a participatory and transparent decision-making regime. In this case too, like in Point 4, state governments should be allowed their constitutional authority over agriculture for exercising their own decisions through appropriate regulatory regimes at the state level, including licensing etc.

·         Regulatory regimes should also pro-actively watch out for seed monopolies/oligopolies building up and prevent the same.

·         Farming communities all over India should have first priority and access to all the germplasm collections all over the country. 

Let us not forget what Kissinger-Doctrine says, "You control petrol, you control nations and if you control food, you control people".... we don't need to find out that this doctrine is still the backbone of US police in certain matters…Oppose food colonialism

SAY NO TO GM SEEDS

Let us join hands to initiate a struggle to protect nation’s seed sovereignty & food self reliance  

KHETI VIRASAT MISSION