NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
After almost 18 years of suffering and struggle, the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, India's worst industrial disaster, are on the streets once again.
They have campaigned for former Union Carbide Corporation chairman Warren Anderson's arrest ever since the December 1984 gas leak, which has killed more than 14,000 people till date.
Now the victims are protesting against the Central Bureau of Investigation's move to dilute charges against Anderson.
The CBI had on May 24 sought to dilute the charges against Anderson from culpable homicide to 'causing death through a rash and negligent act'. The latter is punishable with a maximum of two years in prison or a fine and is likely to end the slim chance of Anderson's extradition from the United States.
Absconding since 1992, when an arrest warrant was issued against him, Anderson, remains the most hated man for Bhopal's gas victims. "Not only our lives, but those of coming generations have been destroyed in the gas-affected areas of Bhopal. Anderson cannot be let go like this," insists Rashida Bi.
Rashida, who has witnessed five members of her family die of cancer in the aftermath of the gas leak, is one of three protesters sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar near Parliament House.
Calling for a reversal of the CBI move and distribution of the remainder of the relief money amongst the victims alone, the protesters are refusing to budge till their demands are met. Thursday was the thirteenth day of their protest.
"Seems Anderson has bought them all. But he has to be punished. We are here for that," says a determined Tara Bi, who after a miscarriage triggered by the gas leak, could not beget a child again.
Last year the CBI had reduced the charges against the Indian employees of Union Carbide. The agency is deploying the same logic to reduce the charges against Anderson. But the victims and their supporters are not buying it. They argue that the decisions in Union Carbide were taken at the company's US headquarters, and its officials in India were only following orders.
"20,000 dead and still rising" is how placards held by protesters describe the magnitude of the tragedy. The gas leak has left thousands more with lung problems, tuberculosis, impaired eyesight and other ailments.
Women have been hit the worst. "Men hesitate marrying women from gas-affected areas, as most of them are either suffering from ailments or give birth to deformed babies," says Tara Bi.
A delegation of the protesters has met Union Minister of State for Home I D Swami, who assured them that he would take up their case with his senior colleague, Lal Kishenchand Advani. "We hope Advaniji will do something about it," one protester said.
So far, however, the healing touch from the government has been missing. Of the settlement amount of Rs 71.5 billion received from Union Carbide, Rs 13.6 billion are lying with the Supreme Court of India.
Different politicians want to use that money for their own purposes. One senior BJP politician from Madhya Pradesh even wants to use it in an area unaffected by the gas leak. The state government wants to spend it to build a memorial while the Centre wants to use it to treat water around the affected areas.
But the survivors want it to be distributed amongst the victims along with the interest it has earned. "It is the settlement money and should be distributed amongst the victims, who got just Rs 15,000 each," says Sathyu Sarangi, an activist who has been working with the gas victims since that fateful night in December 1984 and now is fasting for their rights.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
