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Protests, demands mark 32 years of Bhopal gas tragedy
Various NGOs representing those affected took out rallies chanting slogans and burnt effigies of Warren Anderson, the then CEO of Union Carbide, the logos of the US firm and its current owner Dow Chemicals, and the flags of the US.
Bhopal:
Hundreds of activists took to the streets on Saturday to condemn government inaction and apathy in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy that killed thousands 32 years ago on this day.
Various NGOs representing those affected took out rallies chanting slogans and burnt effigies of Warren Anderson, the then CEO of Union Carbide, the logos of the US firm and its current owner Dow Chemicals, and the flags of the US.
The activists also visited various crematoria and burial grounds to pay tribute to those who died following leakage of toxic methyl isocyanate from the Union Carbide Corporation’s pesticide plant in this city on December 3, 1984.
Leaders of five survivors’ organisations who jointly organised the rally, urged the US, the state and the central governments to stop sheltering and colluding with the corporations and ensure justice for the half million survivors.
“The US government is sheltering Dow Chemicals for the last two years by refusing to serve the notices of Bhopal district court against the US firm. It must stop violating the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty it signed with India in 1991,” Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, said.
Abdul Jabbar, convener of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sanghathan, expressed sadness over none being punished for the world’s largest industrial disaster. “We hope the culprits are punished as per the law of the land,” he said.
The government organised an all-religion prayer meeting at the Barkatullah Bhawan, led by gas relief and rehabilitation minister Vishwas Sarang in the presence of various religious heads.
Governor O P Kohli, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and mayor Alok Sharma were not present.
DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla , chief secretary Basant Pratap Singh and senior officials of police and government took part in the commemoration along with a host of distinguished citizens and public representatives.
Isai Mahasangh took out a candle march from Berasia road till the statue of people’s memorial near the Union Carbide factory.
NGOs organised a condolence meeting at Shahjani Park and gave a memorandum to minister Sarang demanding adequate compensation for gas victims and proper disposal of toxic waste dumped at the Union Carbide plant.
Balkrishna Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha, accused the Indian government of colluding with US firms, denying justice to victims.
He also claimed that victims were denied justice as they were either Muslims or lower caste Hindus.
Nawab Khan of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s indifference, saying that he took special care of the menu of the dinner he invited Dow Chemicals’ CEO, Andrew Liveris to, but “he remains oblivious to the need for revision of figures of injury and death for additional compensation to survivors.
Charging the state government with deliberate negligence, Satinath Sarangi of Bhopal Group for Information and Action accused it of not taking legal steps to make Dow Chemicals pay for the contamination of ground water in and around the pesticide factory since 1991.
Safreen Khan of Children Against Dow Carbide, said the aftermath of the disaster was also man-made.
“The disaster can end today if the governments of USA, India and Madhya Pradesh respect national and international laws follow their respective constitutions and fulfill promises made,” he said.
