A GROUP of Bhopal gas tragedy victims today called off their weeklong hunger strike after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assurance to take welfare measures required by them.
‘We decided to call off our hunger strike as the Prime Minister has promised to meet four of the six demands,” spokesman for the protestors Nityanand Jayaraman said after the meeting of a delegation with Singh.
A group of victims of the 1984 gas tragedy had sought setting up of a Commission to look into compensation issues, demands of providing them with clean water, removal of toxic debris from the factory site and setting up of a monument in Bhopal for the victims of the 1984 gas tragedy.
The Prime Minister assured that the government will take whatever welfare measures that are required for those affected by the gas tragedy, a PMO spokesman said when asked about the meeting of Bhopal gas tragedy victims with Singh.
Jayaraman said the Prime Minister assured them to declare December 3, the day the tragedy struck, as the National Day of Mourning in the memory of victims. Singh said the government will explore legal options to make Dow Chemical clean up toxic mess in Bhopal.
The Prime Minister did not agree to the victims’ demand of blacklisting Union Carbide and disallowing them to conducting any business in India. He also refused to prosecute Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.
Though the survivors were celebrating their ‘victory’, most of them were disappointed with Singh’s refusal to try Dow Chemicals. ‘It shows the cowardice of the government that they have bowed to US multinationals,’’ said Rasheeda Bee, a survivor.
The Prime Minister did not agree to the victims’ demand of blacklisting Union Carbide and disallowing them to conducting any business in India. He also refused to prosecute Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.
Though the survivors were celebrating their ‘victory’, most of them were disappointed with Singh’s refusal to try Dow Chemicals. ‘It shows the cowardice of the government that they have bowed to US multinationals,’’ said Rasheeda Bee, a survivor.