500 Bhopal victims march to Union Carbide factory
Bhopal : Over 500 survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and people exposed to ground water contaminated by hazardous waste, on Thursday marched to the abandoned Union Carbide (UC) factory holding lighted torches (mashaal) on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the disaster in Bhopal.
The marchers demanded legal action against Union Carbide Corporation, its subsidiary Union Carbide Eastern Hong Kong and its former Chairman Warren Anderson- all of who are absconding from the ongoing criminal case in the Bhopal district court.
The five Bhopal based organizations leading the march stated that the main obstruction in securing justice for the 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 fiver organizations are Children Against Dow-Carbide, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha and Bhopal Group for Information and Action.
The organizations said that Dow Chemical that took over Union Carbide in 2001 has been refusing to accept the legal liability for cleaning up the toxic contamination of ground water and soil in and around the abandoned Union Carbide factory for the last 9 years.
The company has also been refusing to accept the jurisdiction of the State High Court for the last five years, claimed the orgnizations.
At the end of the rally, the marchers, including large number of children, gathered around the statue of Bhopal Mother in front of the Union Carbide factory to pay homage to those killed by the disaster and to took a collective vow to continue with the struggle for justice and a life of dignity for all victims of Union Carbide in Bhopal.
On the intervening night of 2/3 December 1984, the inhabitants of the city of Bhopal became victims of the world’s worst industrial disaster. 40 tonnes of methyl iscocyanate (MIC – a highly volatile toxic chemical) stored at the pesticide plant – owned by Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), a subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), USA – was contaminated with water and other impurities.
As a result, a mixture of deadly gases escaped from the factory killing several thousands of people and inflicting grievous injuries on at least 500,000 others.
Earlier this year, a lower court in Bhopal had awarded mere two years of imprisonment to seven convicted Union Carbide officials for the incident.
