Editorial

Whether it is nuclear radiation, hormones, insecticides or chemicals, it is good to know their effects - good or bad. Science is studied for the sake of science. But the smart people who want to make a quick buck, do not care about the methods used by them.

Radiation prevents seeds from germinating. When this became the latest toy, this was used for preserving food materials without sufficient prior studies on the effect on human beings. Creation of colour centres by radiation is being used by jewellers to irradiate gems to make 'rays' inside ruby-or other stones- Have we tested the jewels for activity when selling them?

Hormone treatment produces better quality cotton. But when hormone treatment is given for human beings, particularly by physicians who are not aware of the research that is performed on their effects, this is dangerous to the patients.

When the same treatment is given to the cattle to produce more milk, it is a dangerous play. This is being used systematically by a large number of private dairy-farms who supply this milk to co-operative collection centres.

Oxytocin, earlier prescribed for pregnant women is now banned for human consumption. This is what is being injected into the common vegetables such as pumpkin, cucumber, brinjal and gourd which are normally eaten by the common man. These are dangerous in the long run. Calcium carbide is another "medicine" that is added in boxes of bananas to make them look fresh and yellow.

These slow poisons have to be treated as a serious danger.

Apart from growing more food, the government has to take stern measures to prevent the hazardous practices that are adopted by the farmers.