By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The ritual of remembering the dead and sympathizing with the survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy, which has been termed as the world’s worst industrial disaster, was gone through here on Wednesday on its 24th anniversary as usually done every year with nothing much to boost the morale of the victims and their dependents.
Life had come to a standstill on this very day 24 years ago when in the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 about 40 tones of deadly poisonous methyl-isocyanate, (MIC), gas had spewed from the leaking tank of Indian subsidiary of American company Union Carbide factory wherein about 3000 people had perished and half a million or so others had been maimed. However, after more than two decades of tragedy when a new whole set of generation has come up there was hardly any sign of grief or remorse on this capital city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday as life went on as usual with business in market places continuing without any interruption.
Survivors of Bhopal gas tragedy taking out torch-light rally to mark the 24th anniversary of the tragedy
The Dow Chemical later took over the Union Carbide, which was manufacturing pesticide, but has declined to inherit the Union Carbide’s Bhopal plant liabilities related to the tragedy.
Observance of the anniversary began on Tuesday night when a torch rally was carried out to mark the occasion and effigies of Warren Anderson, the then Chairman of Union Carbide, and Dow Chemical were burnt in front of the now defunct Union Carbide plant. Hundreds of survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy marched with torches and held a candlelight vigil outside the factory.
People living next to the Union Carbide factory – where the ground water is contaminated by poisons from the hazardous chemical waste of the factory – also joined the march. Children who had been poisoned by contaminated ground water formed a prominent part of the march.
Leaders of three organizations – Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha and Bhopal Group for Information and Action – demanded immediate setting up of the Empowered Commission on Bhopal for long term medical care and economic and social rehabilitation and supply of safe drinking water, besides clean up of thousands of tons of hazardous chemical waste.
Other NGOs working for the survivors include Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udhyog Sangathan and Gas Peedit Nishrit Pension Bhogi Sanghatan Morcha.
An all-religion prayer meeting was held in the morning at the Barkatullah Bhavan in memory of victims. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Governor Dr. Balram Jakhar did not make it to the meeting.
Meanwhile, on the eve of the 24th anniversary a new organization “Children Against Dow-Carbide” has been formed to fight for justice. The announcement to this effect was made here by the leaders of three organizations of the survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster at a press conference.
The representatives of the three organizations Rashida Bi & Champa Devi Shukla of BGPMSKS, Syed Mohammad Irfan of BGPMPSM and Satinath Sarangi & Rachna Dhingra of BGIA said that children played a very significant role in the demonstrations at the Indian Prime Minister’s house and office in New Delhi during the 2008 “dharna” (sit-in). ([email protected])