The five women survivors of the Union Carbide disaster, who have been fasting in New Delhi since Monday, refused to take water from Tuesday noon. A number of survivors of the disaster, mostly women, continued their dharna for the third day as no word came from Government officials.
The five women survivors, Premlata, Vishnu Bai, Kasturi Bai, Shehazadi Bee and Kamla Bai said that their decision to go on a fast wit out even taking water had been conveyed to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers on September 12.
US activist Bill McKibben, organiser of the recent Peoples Climate March, and M Ilango, chairman of the National Fishworkers Forum a trade union of 3 lakh fishworkers along with five of his colleagues visited Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with the Bhopal protesters.
The five organisations said that they had started their agitation on the current demands with a dharna at Jantar Mantar on July 25, 2010, more than four years back.
The organisations are demanding additional compensation to all survivors of the disaster and revision of figures of disaster related death and injury in the curative petition filed by the Central Government in the Supreme Court. They said that more survivors from Bhopal are expected to join the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.
On the third day of the fast and day 2 of the fast without taking water, the agitators will be joined by eminent citizens from Delhi.
The Government of India has promised to act with alacrity to every need of the corporate citizen — single window clearances, expedited and simplified licensing procedures. But for the ordinary citizen, getting his or her due as a human being remains a tortuous, convoluted and fraught process.