Bhopal Survivors on Hunger Strike to Protest Government Ruling

From Indo-Asian News Service
June 30, 2002


NEW DELHI, June 30 (IANS) -- Six Indians are on an "indefinite" hunger strike here to demand that the government withdraw its plea to dilute the homicide charge against the prime accused in the Bhopal gas disaster.

The protestors -- five are survivors of the lethal methyl isocyanate leak from Union Carbide's pesticide plant in Bhopal on December 2-3 night of 1984 -- want the government not to soften the charge against Warren Anderson, an American who was the company chairman during the world's worst industrial disaster.

They oppose the charge being diluted to negligence as that would mean Anderson would not be extradited to India and tried in this country.

Nearly 1,800 people died instantly when tonnes of methyl isocyanate escaped from the Union Carbide plant. But after-effects of the poison gas continued to claim victims. Rights activists say the death toll has steadily climbed to a staggering 20,000.

Thousands of survivors continued to suffer from a variety of problems, ranging from hazy eyesight to heart disorders.

The protestors, under the banner of the National Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, started the hunger strike at 3.00 p.m. Saturday near the 18th century observatory Jantar Mantar, a stone's throw away from Parliament.

Said Satinath Sarangi, 46, a New Delhi-based activist who has joined the survivors in the hunger protest: "We will continue our strike till the demands are accepted. We have approached several government officials, but so far have received no word from them."

He alleged that the government was "trying to save" Anderson.

Sarangi said the hunger strikers had reported no health problems till Sunday evening.

The strikers include four women -- Rasheeda Bee, 46, Tara Bai, 35, Feroza Bee, 50, and Chanda Devi, 50. Sunil Kumar, 31, who lost seven of his family in the tragedy, also joined the hunger strike.

Nearly 100 people, most of them survivors, are at the strike site with posters and banners denouncing the government.

"The government has sold us out to multinational interests," said Balkrishna Namdeo of a voluntary group fighting for the Bhopal victims. "Besides betraying us, the government has announced that the multinational companies can pollute and murder and get away unpunished in India."

Rasheeda Bee, who heads a group fighting for the victims and their kin, explained that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had approached a Bhopal court asking for the charge against Anderson to be changed from murder to negligence. The court will hear the case on July 17.

"The timing of the CBI's application for dilution of charges makes it clear that the government is worried more about the well-being of the factory owners than it is for the survivors," said Sarangi, a member of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action.

The protestors also alleged that compensation was being distributed to those who were not affected by the tragedy while 36 neighbourhoods identified by the authorities among the worst hit are still waiting for relief and compensation.

So far 94 percent of the survivors have received a meagre Rs.15,000 for their lifetime loss of health and livelihood, they said.

They also alleged that the authorities were diverting the money allotted for compensation to remove toxic wastes left by Union Carbide at the factory site.

They said Dow Chemicals, which took over Union Carbide in February last year, should be held responsible for all pending medical and environmental liabilities in Bhopal.


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