Bhopal gas disaster victims and NGOs working for them have welcomed the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to consider the CBI's curative petition against the apex court's 1996 order diluting charges against Indian nationals accused in the criminal case.
But they felt that a special
court needed to be set up to hear the case on a daily basis to ensure justice for survivors of the world's worst industrial disaster.
The Supreme Court has issued notices to the seven Indian Union Carbide officials in response to the CBI's plea for a review of the court's decision in 1996 to reduce the charge against them from culpable homicide not amounting to murder to that of criminal negligence.
"It is a matter of solace that the Supreme Court and the CBI seem to have realised 14 years after the charges were reduced that they had committed a mistake," said Abdul Jabbar of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan.
"But it will be good for the gas victims only if the Supreme Court fixes a time-frame for disposal of the case," he added.
Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action said, "I am very happy that the Supreme Court has realised that there is manifest illegality and palpable injustice to the survivors of the gas disaster by its order of 1996. I only hope the case is disposed of as early as possible by conducting day-to-day hearings and putting the Indian accused behind bars for 10 years."
Sadhna Karnik of Bhopal Gas Peedit Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti, however, said it has been the persistent struggle by the gas victims over the years that has brought them whatever little they have achieved.
"People have fought their case valiantly with the help of the Left parties. Otherwise, you can see that the Prime Minister of this nation does not say anything about the gas disaster or price rise. But if the US comes under attack for some reason, he loses no time in coming to their rescue. The UPA and NDA have been two sides of the same coin in this matter."
Disaster victim Shobha, who has been attending the Saturday meeting of gas victims in a park for years, said, "Justice will be done only if all the accused, including Warren Anderson, go to jail."