By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: More than 150 survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the World’s worst industrial disaster, on Tuesday went to the Madhya Pradesh Governor’s residence and demanded immediate release of activist Anna Hazare and his aides and restoration of the constitutional rights of protesters against corruption.
The survivors, who were led by five NGOs working for their welfare, demanded a strong Lokpal bill and also handed over a memorandum addressed to the President of India to the authorized representative of the governor.
The memorandum said that corruption at all levels of the Central and state governments along with the judiciary has played a significant role in the denial of justice and adequate relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal.
“As victims of systemic corruption for the last 27 years, we are part of the national campaign for a Jan Lokpal Bill and consider it to be one of the necessary elements for ending the continuing disasters in Bhopal”, the memorandum added.
The representatives of five organizations viz. Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information & Action and Children Against Dow Carbide accompanied the survivors to the Governor’s residence.
Meanwhile, it may be mentioned here that Anna Hazare was sent to seven days’ judicial custody hours after he was detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday morning ahead of his fast-unto-death in New Delhi for a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal bill. ([email protected])