Bhopal: Union Carbide gas leak survivors demonstrate

The rally ended at the statue of the Bhopal Mother opposite the abandoned factory, where members paid homage to those killed by the disaster.

 

Later the members collectively took oath of continuing with the battle for punishment of the guilty corporations and for additional compensation for the victims. 

 

The organizations said that the Indian government had filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court of India on Dec 3, 2010, seeking 1.2 billion dollars as additional compensation from Union Carbide and its owner The Dow Chemical Company for the disaster in Bhopal. According to them, in the last five years there has been just one hearing on the curative petition and the government has not moved a single application for urgent hearing on the matter.

 

The organizations charged that the curative petition by the Indian government downplays the damage caused by the disaster and seeks too little compensation. “In 1985 the Indian government asked for 3.3 billion dollars as compensation that would be about 7 billion dollars today. Union Carbide has paid only 470 million Dollars, the least the government should be asking for is 6.5 billion dollars. But the curative petition only asks for 1.2 billion dollars.” points out Rashida Bee of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh

 

Balkrishna Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha. said “The central and state governments are presenting fraudulent data on death and injury caused by the disaster to justify the paltriness of additional compensation.  The government says only 5295 persons have died due to the disaster whereas its own medical research organization’s records show that twice this number died in the first 9 years itself.”

 

Nawab Khan, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha pointed out that the figures published by the Madhya Pradesh government show that there were 431495 chronic patients in the hospitals meant for gas affected people in 2010. 

 

“Counting in survivors who went to other health care institutions, we could say that well over 90 % of the persons exposed in 1984 continue to need hospital visits. However, the curative petitions of both the governments state that 93 % of the victims went to the hospital just for a day,” he said.

 

According to Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action, the main obstruction in securing justice for the Bhopal survivors is the continuing collusion between the Government of India and the two American corporations – Union Carbide and its current owner Dow Chemical Company.

 

“The unholy nexus between the American corporations and the Indian government is even stronger in these times. Obtaining justice against Bhopal’s killers has become even more difficult with Modijee as the Prime Minister,” said Safreen Khan of Children Against Dow Carbide.