(Pervez Bari): The representatives of five organizations working for the welfare of the survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, the world’s worst industrial catastrophe, have announced their plans of an indefinite water-less fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from November 10 on the issue of compensation.
Addressing a Press conference here on Monday, the representatives said that five women survivors will stop taking any food or water demanding additional compensation for all survivors of the disaster and correction of figures of death and extent of injury in the curative petition filed in the Supreme Court of India by the federal government.
The agitation would be organised under the joint banner of five survivors’ organisations and hundreds of survivors would support the fast by sitting with the five women at the venue every day, representatives of the organisations said at the press conference. The organisations joining the agitation are Bhopal Group of Information and Action, (BGIA), Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha, Children Against Dow Carbide, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh and the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, (BGPMPSM).
Ms Rashida Bi, president of a trade union of women survivors said that the ex-gratia compensation of Indian rupees 100,000 was given to only 33,672 survivors among the 5,69,081 people exposed to Union Carbide’s toxic gas. “There is no scientific or legal basis to deny additional compensation to 93 per cent of the victims. Our protest at Jantar Mantar is for additional compensation of Indian rupees 100,000 for all gas victims”, she said.
Satinath Sarangi of BGIA and Nawab Khan, president of BGPMPSM, said the figures of death (5,295) and extent of injury caused by the Union Carbide presented in the curative petition are far lower than the findings of the Indian Council of Medical Research, (ICMR), and other scientific agencies. The death figure has risen to around 25,000 and almost all the 5.69 lakh odd victims are still suffering acutely. The government is downplaying the damage caused by the Union Carbide even when it is seeking additional compensation. “Government should put across the correct position while demanding additional compensation through the curative petition, else it’s of no use,” they added.
Balkrishna Namdeo, president of an organization fighting for social support for the needy, said: “The government is seeking only 1.2 billion US dollars (Indian Rs.6,000 crore) as additional compensation in the Curative petition whereas it should be asking for at least 8.1 billion US dollars (Indian Rs.37,000 crores) from the American corporations.”
Ms Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action said: “The denial of proper compensation to the victims is a direct result of successive governments at the centre so far siding with Union Carbide. We will see whose side our new Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on.”
“Just a month back we saw how keen our Prime Minister is about American corporations coming to India. We hope he is as keen to ensure that these corporations obey the laws of the country and pay adequate compensation. Bhopal is a good test for him”, said Safreen Khan, founder of the Children Against Dow Carbide.
Meanwhile, it may be pointed out here that a few days back as the news of the death of Warren Anderson, 92, former chairman of the erstwhile American multinational Union Carbide, which spewed death and destruction in Bhopal, filtered through the survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy, celebrated it by distributing sweets. The survivors, whose kith and kin have died in thousands over the last three decades and the count is still continuing, also smashed slippers and spitted on his enlarged photo to release their pent up anger and resentment for bringing unending agony to them.
Extradition and prosecution of Anderson was a long pending demand of the gas victim organisations. “Anderson Ko Phansi Do” (Hang Anderson) was one of the popular war cries of the gas activists and in the last 30 years while thousands of his effigies must have been burnt in the city. All efforts to bring Anderson to book, however, came to a nought and ultimately, he lived a peaceful life in a posh neighbourhood in New York and passed away in a hospital.
Led by the leaders of the five NGOs (non-government organizations) a condemnation meeting was held on Friday last following the receipt of the news of the death of Warren Anderson.
It may be recalled here that on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 Union Carbide pesticide manufacturing factory had spewed poisonous Methyl Iso-cyanate gas whereby 3000 people had perished virtually instantly and over the years more than 25000 have kissed death and the sad saga is still continuing uninterruptedly. About half a million are still suffering from the side effects of the poisonous gas and several thousands of people have been maimed for life. (pervezbari@eth.net)