40th anniversary of Bhopal gas tragedy Survivors hold protest march seek justice

    Bhopal, Dec 3 (PTI) Organisations representing survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy on Tuesday took out a protest march to mark the 40th anniversary of one of the world's biggest industrial disasters and demanded an end to the "injustice" faced by them.

    An all religion prayer was also held in the Madhya Pradesh capital to pay homage to victims of the catastrophe.

    On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked from Union Carbide's pesticide plant here, killing 5,479 persons and maiming more than five lakh others.

    Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel along with representatives of different religions paid homage to the gas tragedy victims at the Central Library, Barkatullah Bhawan, in old Bhopal area.


    Those present on the occasion observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the tragedy, an official said.

    Demanding justice for the victims, former vice chancellor of the Bhoj Open University, Kamlakar Singh said the disaster happened decades ago, but the survivors and their children were still dealing with the fallout, including health, environmental and economic problems.
    "The disaster still continues to kill and disable the new generation. The perpetrators responsible for this continue to enjoy a happy and rich life," he said.

    The people of Bhopal are still seeking justice and accountability from the corporations that waged a "genocide" in their city 40 years ago, Singh said.

    The world must know that the disaster is continuing, causing chronic illnesses, disabling the next generation (of survivors), and environmental damage that keeps unfolding, he said.

    "This was a corporate crime and it should not be a story where the message is that the world's worst industrial disaster resulted in corporations getting away. The story should be about how this can be fixed, how justice can be given, how accountability can be realised," he said.
    Meanwhile, a large number of women and men, holding placards, marched towards the now defunct Union Carbide factory site while raising the slogan "Bhopal Ka Insaaf Karo".

    The protest march participants, carrying an effigy of "corporate crime" at the abandoned factory site, denounced various regional, national and international leaders and relief organisations for their continued involvement in the "denial" of justice and a life of dignity to survivors of the catastrophe.

    Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh president Rashida Bee alleged that successive US presidents have actively protected the Union Carbide Corporation and the Dow Chemical company from prosecution in India.

    "We wish that US President-elect Donald Trump puts an end to the long history of injustice in Bhopal in his effort to make America great again. We hope Trump will take action against the Union Carbide Corporation and the Dow Chemical company," she said.
    The Dow Chemical Company had acquired the Union Carbide Corporation.

    Balkrishna Namdeo, from the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha, claimed all scientific studies were now pointing out the ongoing illnesses and continuing deaths among the half-a-million survivors and health impacts on their children.

    Bhopal Group for Information and Action representative Rachna Dhingra claimed the Dow Chemical's business in India has increased more than 10 times under the present regime at the Centre.

    In 10 years, the groundwater in Bhopal, which should have been cleaned up by Dow Chemical according to the polluter pays principle, has moved 3 kilometres into the city, she further claimed.

    Dow Chemical is selling Union Carbide's properties to Indian PSUs for the last two years and claiming that US corporations are not answerable to Indian courts, Dhingra alleged.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)