To commemorate the 37th anniversary of the Bhopal Union Carbide tragedy, four organisations consistent of survivors of the disaster launched a 37-day campaign for 'justice and a life of dignity' for the survivors on Tuesday, 26 October.
Titled “Bhopal Disaster: 37 years, 37 questions”, the campaign seeks to highlight the apprehensions surfaced during the horrific aftermath of the Bhopal gas incident.
These include urgent concerns regarding compensation, criminal justice, medical, economic and social rehabilitation, as well as environmental remedying of polluted lands, which need to be addressed to put a halt to the ongoing disaster.
President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh Rashida Bee states:
"Starting from today, survivors of the disaster will be asking one question every day. While both central and state governments agreed in 2010 that the American corporations had to pay additional compensation, neither has filed an application for urgent hearing of the Curative Petition pending before the Supreme Court till today. We want to know why the governments have chosen not to get the petition heard for the last 11 years."
Awaiting Justice, Accountability
She adds that even after six consecutive summons issued by the Bhopal District Court, USA-based Dow Chemical has seen its business grow exponentially in the last seven years.
Shehzadi Bee of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha has questioned, "So our question of the day would be how can the Indian government allow a company that does not obey laws of the land to do business in this country?”
Meanwhile, Rachna Dhingra, a member of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action has underlined concern regarding the Centre and state administration's responses towards issues of medical care and rehabilitation of the survivors.
Neglected Medical Care
She states, "Despite the passage of 37 years the mainstay of healthcare of the survivors continue to be symptomatic drugs that provide temporary relief, if at all. So we will be asking such basic questions like — why are there no treatment protocols for exposure-related chronic illnesses till today?”
Another question looks at the issues of contamination and remediation of the land in and around the abandoned Union Carbide factory.
Nousheen Khan of Children Against Dow Carbide says in this regard, ”Despite being entitled by laws in India and USA to seek compensation from Dow Chemical for the polluted land, why has the MP government never filed a claim against the corporation?"
Question 1: A Closer Look at Fatalities Recorded
One of the pertinent questions asked as part of the movement examines the fatalities recorded by the government.
Citing the data provided by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in their “Action Plan” of 2008, the campaign notes that after the disaster, about 5,000 widows were reportedly in need of financial support for their livelihood.
Meanwhile, a Civil Curative Petition filed before the Supreme Court of India for additional compensation from Union Carbide and Dow Chemical, the MP administration notes that only 5,295 deaths occurred in the tragedy.
Going by these statistics, is the government suggesting then that the number of deaths of all children, women, and unmarried men due to the disaster only totalled 295?
"Out of the official total of 5,295 gas-related deaths, are there 5,000 widows because the gas only killed married men?"
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