Children of gas exposed parents born with physical and mental development disorders and birth defects, here on Monday presented songs urging the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh to ensure their legal rights for compensation from Union Carbide/Dow Chemical.

Despite having scientific evidence, judicial acknowledgement and the backing of legal principle that children born to gas affected parents have suffered health damages as a result of exposure to their parent, the govt at State and centre continue to look the other way, said Rashida Bee, President Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh.

On the 35th day of their 37-day campaign, the disabled children born to the parents exposed to poisons of Union Carbide Disaster sought answers from the central & State Government. They asked, “When there is scientific evidence and official acknowledgement of health damage caused to children born after the disaster because of their parents’ exposure to Union Carbide’s gases. Why has the MP government & Govt of India not taken any steps to ensure that children of gas victims who have legal rights to compensation are given their due by Union Carbide/Dow Chemical."

Several research papers published in national and international peer reviewed journals have reported the genotoxic impact of the exposure to Union Carbide’s toxic gases. ICMR’s own study has reported high pregnancy loss in women exposed to toxic gas till 5years after the disaster.

The parent organisation of National Institute for Research on Environmental Health (NIREH) decided to not publish the results of its 2016 study that found birth defects in babies of gas-exposed mothers to be 7 times higher compared to those non-exposed mothers. “While the findings of this study should have been used to substantiate the Curative Petition for additional compensation from Union Carbide/Dow Chemical but the study on adverse health  impact on children was buried”, said Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information & Action.