Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), the farmer organisation affiliated to RSS, has sought an immediate ban on the sale of glyphosate, a controversial weedicide, terming its continued sales as “serving cancer for free”.

Pointing out that use of glyphosate continues indiscriminately despite a ban on its application in the farm sector, BKS in a statement has said that the effect of its use is now visible in the form of increasing cases of cancer, heart disease, skin infection and serious digestive diseases.

Stating that agriculture scientists of Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University of Jabalpur have written a letter to the Madhya Pradesh government mentioning about the side effects of glyphosate, BKS said that there is a need for enforcing the ban across the country.

Mohini Mohan Mishra, General Secretary of BKS, said that the Union Agriculture Ministry had banned glyphosate in October 2022 due to health and safety concerns. He wondered despite the ban, how farmers are still being sold the products made of glyphosate and sought an enquiry from the agriculture ministry.

The 2022 Order of the agriculture ministry said that the use of glyphosate is restricted and can only be applied through Pest Control Operators.

He also pointed out that glyphosate is a threat to biodiversity and makes water, soil and air poisonous and it is wrong to blame the farmers for its effects when the chemical is sold to them.

The farmers’ body said that use of glyphosate products on all crops in the agricultural sector has increased rapidly and it poses a serious threat not only to the quality of the grain produced and the human beings who consume it.

The BKS statement said that as many as 35 countries have banned the use of glyphosate, but in India, it is allowed to be used only in tea gardens and non-plantation areas adjacent to the tea garden.

After it received a request from the Kerala government, the Centre in July 2020 had published a draft Order for declaring its intention to restrict the use of Glyphosate and its derivatives through pest control operators and invited objections and suggestions, within three months, from all persons likely to be affected. However, the notification was issued after more than two years of releasing the Draft.

The ministry had concurred with its own finding that the use of Glyphosate involves health hazards and risk to human beings and animals, still there is no ban as such. Kerala and Telangana have already banned this chemical which is mainly used in Ht Bt Cotton, a GM variety yet to be approved by GEAC, and some plantation crops.

Published on March 24, 2025