Today’s rant is only partially about the inconvenient truth regarding glyphosate. Mainly, it focuses on my departure from the common activities expected out of an environmentally conscious, anti-GMO activists.

Umm.. what do I mean ?

Well, to start with, I wish to declare that I, after years of going with the flow, screaming against Monsanto in North America, signing petitions and going on talking tours across the length and breadth of Canada, and being a part of many organizations, I have quit them all.

No, I have not given up on activism, but I decided I was wasting my time, and my time was too precious to be wasted. I became thoroughly disenchanted by anti-GMO talking heads like Jeffrey Smith of the US, Vanadana Shiva of India, author Steve Druker of the US etc, not so much because of what they did, but rather, because what they did to do, or tap danced around, and failed to alert the people about.

I also decided that almost all NGOs and resistance groups I had been involved in, were worse than a waste of time for me. They were definitely counter productive in the sense that they were using my time, my efforts and my money, to useless pursuits that were designed, in my mind, to fail to tackle the root of the problem. They continued to misguide the people.

In some ways, these groups and talking heads appeared to be flips sides of the same coin, and were both milking the system from opposite ends. Neither wanted the problem to be eradicated.

That was the impression I got after years of wasting my personal time and money, and I decided to cut my links to them all – hook, line, and sinker, and venture out all by myself. I was not going to ask for money from anybody. I was not going to try and speak with people as a means to try and solve the problems of poison in our food and environment. I had decided the most people that listen are essentially groupies that clap hands and hang out with notables but otherwise do nothing meaningful, and that the talking heads ensure that the population stays thus mesmerized and engaged in uselessness.

So then, what was I going to do? Well, I did not know clearly, but decided to focus on what appeared to me to be part of the root evil – our political system that allows unproven and potentially dangerous products to be allowed in through corruption in high places.

I had no money – no political clout, no people support – nothing. But, I had me. And I decided to go after the Canadian Government single handed within my capacity and try to address at least one or two of the root issues. Succeed or fail, I would at least have the satisfaction of trying and giving my best shot at what I considered to be a root problem.

All considered, I have had a measure of success, and have become a kind of an example, that going it all alone, without any support, for a single average citizen, is perhaps better than all other options out there. Perhaps some folks, just a handful, will take queue and chalk their own path in their own region, to tackle root issues, singlehanded if need be. Perhaps citizen activism at the grassroots level, without talking heads and professional leaders, was our only shot left to safe this planet, if it at all can be saved at this late stage.

Going it alone and without support has great advantages. I cannot be purchased, influenced, corrupted or sidetracked by money or bullshit. And money or bullshit can come from both sides of the coin, as I have found out.

And now, back to India. Glyphosate is likely mass poisoning India already. A nation of over a billion people, this is already the diabetes capital of the world. It is, in my casual observation and without statistics, is at the cusp of a major epidemic of auto immune disease. Glyphosate has penetrated India in unprecedented level and in unexpected areas. It is my suspicion that glyphosate plays a significant, if not the primary role in slow poisoning India. The so called resistance movement appears to be fixed and fixated on GMO alone, and allowed glyphosate to permeate the land from coast to the mountains. This fixation is one more reason how the poison peddling industry wins out, by keeping the public focussed away from the greatest danger, glyphosate, already affecting the whole of the nation.

Since I cut my links and burned my bridges, I do not need to be politically correct and be afraid of offending anybody. I do not believe the resistance movement is going to save India. If India is to be saved, the job will have to be done by the common man, performing the most important role in a functioning democracy – being a responsible citizen and wrenching the control of a failing democratic system away from the clutches of either big money or useless organizations that make a career out of talking against Monsanto. Monsanto has almost nothing to do with it. It is the politician that is betraying your interest, and that is happening because you have been sleeping, or listening to the wrong guys.

So, While I do not look to be speaking to the people, at times I do accept an invitation. Thus I may be speaking at a small study circle discussion soon by invitation in South Kolkata by a group of scientists and mathematicians. Details will be furnished here if and when official invitation is received.

The topic of my talk will be:

• Glyphosate, the molecule that is mass poisoning India, and the world
• how it remains invisible and under media radar,
• how expecting solutions from Governments, political parties, and resistance groups are a waste of time,
• and finally, how it is for the citizens to address this global and national crisis, directly, individually, each within his or her capacity.