A group of people on Wednesday performed shavasana (corpse pose) to protest against the proposed disposal of Union Carbide waste, connected to the Bhopal gas tragedy, in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district.
Protests have been happening in the district, where 337 metric tonnes of waste have been brought from Bhopal for incineration at the industrial town of Pithampur.
Twelve persons, including members of Pithampur Bachao Samiti, Pithampur Raksha Samiti and yoga exponent Pradeep Dubey, performed Shavasana at the bus stand around noon as part of their demonstration.
"I have been associated with yoga for a long time. We realised shavasana was the best way to express our feelings peacefully," Dubey told reporters.
He said the authorities should take the matter seriously and not be in haste to dispose of the Union Carbide waste.
"Because of this (waste disposal plan), everyone is fearful today. Therefore, to demonstrate the last limit of fear, we performed shavasana," he said.
President of the Pithampur Bachao Samiti Dr Hemant Hirole said they have been holding a public dialogue since 12 containers carrying the waste reached Pithampur last month.
"But we have not received answers to our technical questions," he claimed.
Wednesday's protest through the yogic pose of shavasana was a message to the people of Pithampur that the matter should be presented before the court, he said.
In January, protests had rocked Pithampur, around 50 km from Dhar district headquarters, after the waste was brought to a private facility in the industrial town for incineration. Those objecting to the move claim it would harm the locals' health and the environment.
Meanwhile, the local administration has launched an intense awareness campaign to allay the misconceptions about the waste disposal.
According to the state government, the waste comprises soil, reactor residues, Sevin (pesticide) residues, naphthol residues and semi-processed residues.
The MP Pollution Control Board has said scientific evidence suggests the chemical effects of Sevin and naphthol in the waste have now become nought.
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