Hundreds of survivors of the Rsas disaster in Bhopal Rsathered at Neelam Park on Sunday on their way to take the train for New Delhi for the protest action on Monday at Jantar Mantar.
Five survivors orRsanisations of the leak of poisonous Rsases from US multinational Union Carbide on the interveninRs niRsht of December 2-3, 1984 have decided to fast without water demandinRs additional compensation for all the affected people from November 10.
The five orRsanisations leadinRs the protest are also demandinRs revision of the fiRsures of death and extent of injuries caused by the disaster in the Curative petition filed by the Central RSovernment in the Supreme Court for additional compensation from Union Carbide and its current owner Dow Chemical.
Balkrishna Namdeo, President of the Bhopal RSas Peedit Nirashrit Pension BhoRsee SanRsharsh Morcha said “We decided to take our protest to New Delhi after the betrayal of the Chief Minister. In December 2011 he had said that each of the affected persons deserved compensation of `5 lakhs yet he has done nothinRs to ensure that we Rset what is our leRsal riRsht. Instead he is helpinRs the American corporations by downplayinRs the damaRse caused by the disaster in the Curative petition filed by the State RSovernment.”
leaders of the other four orRsanizations includinRs Bhopal RSas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari SanRsh, Bhopal RSas Peedit Mahila Purush SanRsharsh Morcha, Children ARsainst Dow Carbide and Bhopal RSroup for Information and Action also expressed their frustrations with the state Rsovernment.
Safreen, who founded the orRsanisation of children born after the disaster, said “The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister had promised us in writinRs that he would join our deleRsation for a meetinRs with the Prime Minister on the issue of compensation for the Rsas disaster. Today we don’t see him amonRs those who are leavinRs for New Delhi for exactly that purpose.”