US Congressman Frank Pallone, the founder and former co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans has slammed the Bhopal court's verdict of just a two year jail term for those responsible for the Bhopal tragedy as "outrageous" and said that erstwhile Union Carbide chief executive Warren Anderson should stand trial in India along with the others culpable for this carnage and receive the maximum punishment for this worst industrial disaster in the world.
The Bhopal disaster killed over 15,000 people, mainly the indigent and the poor who lived around the plant on the outskirts of the city and permanently maimed and injured tens of thousands more.
Pallone,a New Jersey Democrat,said, "I believe this court ruling is long overdue and that the executives of Union Carbide and its Indian subsidiary deserve to be criminally prosecuted. The court's sentence of merely two years for those responsible for the world's worst chemical disaster is outrageous. "
He asserted that "all those responsible for this disaster, including the former chairman of Union Carbide Warren Anderson, should stand trial in India and receive punishment that reflects the devastation and pain they have caused for thousands of people. Warren Anderson absolutely deserves to be extradited from the US and punished for the full extent of his crimes. As chairman of Union Carbide at the time of the Bhopal gas disaster, Mr. Anderson was ultimately responsible for his company's actions."
Pallone also said,"I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Indian government on swift action to reconstitute the Group of Ministers to review the circumstances surrounding the Bhopal disaster and pursue rehabilitation efforts. As the GoM recommended in 2008, I encourage the Indian government to establish an Empowered Commission on Bhopal which will have adequate authority and funds to ensure that rehabilitation efforts are pursued and care is offered for survivors of the disaster."
© 2024 Rediff.com -