http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan04/s8a.htm
DECCAN HERALD   Thursday, January 4, 2001

---

Ryots destroy Bt cotton
***********************
DH News Service
SHIMOGA, Jan 3

Farmers belonging to the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha today destroyed Bt
Cotton crop sown in Sowlanga near Honnali taluk of Davanagere district today.

This is part of the eradication of Bt Cotton from Karnataka, KRRS President
Prof M D Nanjundaswamy announced. Apart from Prof Nanjundaswamy, President
of the Bharat Kisan Union Mahendra Singh Tikait and general secretary of
KRRS K T Gangadhar led the operation.

Speaking at a public meeting in Sowlanga, Prof Nanjundaswamy listed the
dangers of BT Cotton and called for its destruction. As soon as this was
announced, around 300 farmer activists went into the farm and burnt it. The
50-odd policemen were a mute witness to the incident.

Later, speaking to Deccan Herald, owner of the land, Mr Gangadharappa said
that Mico company had given him the seeds to sow on an experimental basis.
Company officials used to visit the farm from time to time to examine the
progress of the crop. The company had however not told him it was Bt Cotton,
Mr Gangadharappa said that if he had any idea that it was Bt Cotton, he
would not have taken the trouble of sowing it at all.