By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Two Non-Government Organizations, (NGOs), working for the welfare of survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the world’s worst industrial disaster, namely Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sanghathan, (BGPMUS), and Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangharsh Sahayog Samiti, (BGPSSS), have urged the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to take the initiative in ensuring that the Members of the Lok Sabha would pay homage to the victims of the chemical disaster on this occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas leak disaster which falls on 3rd December this year.
BGPMUS and BGPSSS have fervently hoped that the members of the Lok Sabha, would not only pay homage to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy but would also prevail upon the Government of India to make amends for its past mistakes and do the needful for the benefit of the ailing gas-victims.
In a jointly written letter to the Speaker Abdul Jabbar Khan, Convener BGPMUS, and N. D. Jayaprakash, Co-Convener BGPSSS, have reminded that on the intervening night of 02/03 December 1984, over two-thirds of the 900,000 residents of the city of Bhopal were exposed to highly toxic gases that escaped from the premises of Union Carbide India Limited, which was controlled by Union Carbide Corporation, a U.S. multi-national company. The Claim Courts in Bhopal have determined that 574,367 victims had suffered injuries in varying degree causing the untimely death of several thousands. The grievousness of the injuries suffered by the victims are such that even 25 years after the disaster no less than 6000 victims continue to visit hospitals everyday due to disaster-related ailments. Progenies of gas victims appear to be suffering from genetic effects and, reportedly, there is a rise in cancer cases of various kinds.
They pointed out that what is equally worse is that the Settlement amount of 470 million U.S. dollars, which was determined on the assumption that there were only about 105,000 gas-victims, including 3000 dead, was actually disbursed to 574,367 gas-victims, including over 15,000 dead, the letter said.
Effectively, they stressed, this meant that each gas-victim was in fact awarded less than one-fifth of what he/she was eligible to receive as per the terms of the Settlement, which itself was a paltry sum as compared to the magnitude and gravity of the disaster. The next of kin of each of the dead were awarded a sum of Rs. 2,00,000/- on an average and each of the injured were awarded a sum of Rs. 50,000/- on an average. However, none of the gas victims was paid interest for the period of delay in the award of compensation despite the fact the process of adjudication of claims stretched from 1992 to 2006, i.e., eight to twenty-two years after the disaster.
On the contrary, in the case of the Uphaar Cinema tragedy in New Delhi of 1996, the next of kin of each of the dead was awarded Rs. 15 to 18 lakhs and each of the injured was awarded 1,00,000/- plus 9 per cent interest in 2003 from the date of the tragedy. This is just an example of the discriminatory treatment meted out the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the duo contended.
Moreover, the accused officials of Union Carbide are yet to be punished for their criminal negligence that led to the tragedy. In fact, the Government of India has made little efforts to bring accused No. 1, Warren Anderson and concerned officials of accused Nos.10 & 11, Union Carbide Corporation and Union Carbide Eastern, to face trial in India. Instead, the Government of India is doing all it can to please Dow Chemical Company, the present owners of the Union Carbide Corporation.([email protected])