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Bhopal Gas
Tragedy Survivors Stage Die-in at PMO, 36 held: Announce Global Hunger
Strike
Bhopal, June 9 (Pervez Bari): Thirty-six survivors of the 1984 Union
Carbide disaster in Bhopal and victims of water contamination,
including 13 children and 20 women, were arrested today at 3.45 p.m. (IST)
in New Delhi after they staged a die-in in front of the Indian Prime
Minister's Office in South Block.
The survivors, who arrived in New Delhi walking all the way from
Bhopal, took the security guards by surprise, and staged a silent but
visual protest, where the women and children lay along the entrance to
Gate No. 5 that leads to the Prime Minister's Office, with shrouds
covering their bodies.
Meanwhile, according to a Press release 40 survivors staged a die-in
outside the Prime Minister's Office, (PMO), in South Block on Monday.
The protestors demanded that the Indian government commit to
empowering the Commission on Bhopal for long term rehabilitation of
the Bhopal victims and take appropriate legal actions against Union
Carbide and Dow Chemical.
The three organizations of Bhopal survivors leading the 111 days long
campaign including today’s die-in announced the launching of a global
hunger strike from tomorrow with participation from more than 18
countries. Nine survivors and their supporters will begin their
indefinite fast tomorrow from 12 noon at Jantar Mantar and will be
joined by Booker shortlisted author Indra Sinha who will begin "at
least a weeklong fast" from France. The organizations had informed the
Prime Minister of their decision to go on an indefinite fast on June
2.
The decision to undertake a hunger strike was taken after tiring of
waiting for a response from the PMO regarding their demands, the
organizations said. A statement partially conceding to the demands
issued by the Minister of State for PMO Chavan last month made no
mention of the powers, funds and the number of years the Commission on
Bhopal will function and was silent on the issue of legal action
against Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.
"We came here to get all of our demands met. So far, we have got
nothing – not even a drop of clean water. On supply of water, the
Prime Minister has told us that we can continue drinking poisoned
water at least until November after which clean water would be given
to only those who can pay user fees," said Meera More, a young woman
survivor who will be part of the indefinite fast.
The organizations have pointed out to the Prime Minister that for the
Commission to carry out its tasks of rehabilitation in Bhopal, it
needs to have powers to summon and enforce attendance of persons,
inspect documents and requisition official records. Given that these
powers can only be accorded by the Parliament, the organizations have
sent a draft bill for the Commission on Bhopal for endorsement by the
Indian government. Several Members of Parliament from different
parties have already lent their support to the bill.
Survivors say that the demands for legal action against Dow Chemical
and Union Carbide merely ask the Government to do what it is required
under law to do. Survivors have asked for deregistering three Dow
pesticides whose licenses were obtained through bribe. They are
pressing for extradition of Warren Anderson and Union Carbide's legal
representative in line with the orders of the Bhopal Chief Judicial
Magistrate. They have also called for revocation of an approval given
by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to Reliance Petroleum to
purchase Union Carbide's Unipol technology. The Bhopal CJM had ordered
attachment of Union Carbide's property in 1992. Unipol by virtue of
its ownership is a confiscable property.
Although a high-level bureaucrats’ meeting was held on 3 June to
discuss appropriate legal actions against the American corporations,
no decision seems to have been taken on the matter. A section of the
Government, notably Union Ministers of Commerce and Industry;
Kamalnath and Minister of Finance P. Chidambaram, are reported to have
thrown their weight behind Dow Chemical and the cause of American
investors who have issued a veiled threat to reconsider investments in
India if Dow is pinned with Union Carbide's liabilities, the release
said. (pervezbari@eth.net)
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