On the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster, leaders of five organisations of the survivors today condemned the Central and State Governments for “deliberate” neglect of the victims of the disaster and collusion with the US corporations responsible for the disaster.
The organisations charged the Central Government with violation of the survivors’ constitutional rights to proper health care. They denounced Madhya Pradesh government’s role in the ‘Run Bhopal Run’ event with music and dance on the day of the anniversary.
“While all of old Bhopal will be mourning the death of their loved ones, the state government is supporting a spectacle with DJ’s music and Jumba dance in new Bhopal. This shows the abysmal depths of inhumanity in the powers that be.” said Rashida Bee, Goldman Environmental Awardee and president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh.
She appealed to the participants of ‘Run Bhopal Run’ to withdraw their registration in solidarity with the Bhopal victims.
Balkrishna Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha said, “The state government has reneged on its promises of ensuring a minimum of Rs 5 lakh compensation for the victims and providing lifelong pension to the widows of the disaster. A total of 94 per cent of the victims have got only Rs 25,000 compensation for lifelong injuries and thousands of widows remain without pension support for more than a year.”
Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said that the five organisations will be jointly organising a torchlight procession on December 2 and a march to the abandoned Union Carbide factory on December 3. “The world will be watching us on December 3 and we will tell them how we have been betrayed by our own elected governments who kowtow before US capital.” he said.