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May 29, 2005
Be Responsible, Boycott IOC, Madras Bulls tell consumers
MADRAS BULLS RALLY FROM MAYILADUTHURAI TO CHENNAI
The Bulls set out on their 300km ride to Chennai
CHENNAI, 29 May, 2005: The Royal Enfield Bullet enthusiasts from Chennai, popularly known as “Madras Bulls” arrived at Chennai Press Club today as a part of a rally that began at Petroleum Minister’s constituency Mayiladuthurai, in support of the boycott of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) called by the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB). More than 15 motorcyclists arrived in Chennai with the mission of advertising for the boycott of IOC, which is planning to enter into business collaboration with Union Carbide. “We are appalled by Indian Oil’s proposal to do business with Carbide. It’s like rewarding a criminal accused of murder with a lucrative business deal. As motorists and consumers of Indian Oil products, we’ll encourage our other friends to boycott IOC till the company abandons this deal with Dow-Carbide,” said Jaychandran, a member of the Madras Bulls who led the rally.
The bulls get a warm welcome at SIPCOT Cuddalore
The rally was flagged off by Shahid Noor, a survivor from Bhopal who was orphaned during the disaster and A. G. Aranganathan, President Taluk Milk Distributors Association Mayiladuthurai. Yesterday Noor and the supporters of campaign participated in a protest march against Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar in his constituency Mayiladuthurai. The local residents of Mayiladuthurai are disappointed with Aiyar over the proposed deal and have taken the task of spreading awareness and agitating against the minister until the deal is called off and Dow Chemicals is blacklisted. Full support has also been promised by Muslim and Dalit associations in Mayiladuthurai. Muslims and Dalits form the foundation of Aiyar’s vote bank.
Madras Bulls members at the press conference along with Shahid
En route, the rally halted at SIPCOT Industrial Estate in Cuddalore, where it was greeted by residents of the pollution-impacted community, FEDCOT, Pathiya Tamizhagam and members of SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitoring (SACEM), with coconut water and petitions to be delivered to IOC. “SIPCOT is a Bhopal in slow motion, we as residents understand the pain and suffering and extend our solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Bhopal. We call upon the government to blacklist Dow Chemicals and its subsidiaries and deliver justice to the Bhopal survivors,” added SACEM.
ICJB supporters will be meeting the General Manager of IOC in Chennai tomorrow to convey the message of boycott and give signed petitions in support of the boycott.
Posted by bhola at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)
May 28, 2005
Bhopal supporters protest IOC deal in petroleum minister's constituency of Mayiladuthurai
FROM NITY JAYARAMAN IN MAYILADUTHURAI
We had a successful rally and demonstration today in Mayiladuthurai. At least 75 young people and and children braved the heat and oppressive humidity with irrepressible vigour and enthusiastic slogan shouting that would have soured Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar's mood. The rally went through important streets of his home constituency. Mayiladuthurai is the town that elected him.
Nearly 30 young ones, many of them without footwear, waved their placards bearing a cartoon of Aiyar bearing Warren Anderson on his back, everytime they heard the slogan: "Is this justice? Is this justice? Mani Shankar MP carries Bhopal murderer Anderson on his shoulders. Is this justice? Is this justice?"
The rally ended on the busy No.2 Road in Mayiladuthurai, where supporters of the Bhopal campaign stopped buses and lorries and pasted stickers exhorting people to join the boycott of Indian Oil.
Led by the Thamizhar Urimai Iyakkam (Organisation for Tamil's Rights) and Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam, the gathering resolved to intensify the struggle in the coming weeks. Failing a favourable response -- announcing the cancellation of the Indian Oil-Dow business deal -- Mayiladuthurai activists have decided to launch a massive awareness campaign to educate the constituency about Aiyar's role in bringing the criminal Union Carbide back into India.
The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal has received a positive response from organisations working with Muslims and Dalits in Mayiladuthurai. The organisations have assured ICJB that they will do all that is in their power to ensure that Aiyar does not sell out the Bhopalis. Muslims constitute 22 percent of the total population in this electoral constituency. Along with Dalits, they form the foundation for Aiyar's election successes.
Autorickshaw Drivers Association (Mayiladuthurai) too participated in the rally, and have promised their support in boycotting IOC. The Auto Drivers have prominently featured the Bhopal campaign and the Dow-IOC deal in their literary magazine -- Kaalan (Mushroom) dated December 2004.
In an hour, the Bhopalis take to the streets. In 3 hours, four motorcyclists will arrive in Mayiladuthurai from Chennai in their swanky Royal Enfield "Bullet" bikes. The bikers, who are part of a Bullet enthusiasts club called "Madras Bulls", have extended their solidarity to the Boycott IOC campaign by offering to advertise it through a bike rally from Mayiladuthurai to Chennai on 29 May. En route, the rally will halt at SIPCOT Industrial Estate in Cuddalore, where it will be greeted by residents of the pollution-impacted community with coconuts and petitions to be delivered to IOC. The "Bulls" will also halt at Pudu Nemmelikuppam, near the tourist town of Mahabalipuram, where local fisherfolk wish to greet them and hand over signed petitions addressed to Indian Oil.
"This is merely the beginning. This boycott will take the classic route of gradual build-up. If Indian Oil heeds our warning, it can save itself a lot of bad publicity and considerable amounts of money. There are other companies besides Dow Chemical that offer the same technology. We will not allow Indian Oil to do business with a killer company. That's our final word," said Shweta Narayan, a volunteer with ICJB who's based in Chennai.
I hope Aiyar and the Ministry of Chemicals realise the errors of their ways. The Bhopal campaign is living testimony of grassroots globalisation. We can target local politicians, corporate directors and other baddies with equal effectiveness in their respective home bases. Profits over People may not be all that simple a philosophy for our leaders to live by after all.
love, nity
Posted by bhola at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2005
Bhopalis call for boycott of Indian Oil
Bhopal survivors and their supporters are calling for a boycott of Indian Oil.
The government owned Indian Oil Corporation wants to buy Union Carbide technology from Dow Chemical, Carbide's 100% owner.
But Union Carbide Corporation is a criminal fugitive from justice in India, its assets were confiscated for refusing to appear to answer charges of criminal homicide before a court in Bhopal. Thirteen years later, the corporation continues to refuse to appear. Dow Chemical, which does a lot of business in India, claims it has no power to compel Carbide to appear. Bhopal survivors and supporters believe that Dow should be named as defendant in the criminal case in place of its absconding subsidiary and that if it too does not appear, its asssets should also be confiscated and it should be banned from India.
To find out how you can help or join the boycott, email icjb <@> bhopal.net
Say No to Union Carbide-Indian Oil Tie-up
BOYCOTT INDIAN OIL:
Don't Put Bhopal in Your Petrol Tanks
Union Carbide is a fugitive from justice in India, where it is wanted in connection with the deaths of thousands of Bhopalis in the 1984 gas leak from its pesticide factory in Bhopal. In 1992, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal declared Union Carbide an absconder after it repeatedly failed to honour summons of the Indian court. According to Dow spokesperson John Musser “[Union Carbide's] position on the matter is that the Indian Government has no jurisdiction over Union Carbide. . .therefore, they are not appearing in court.” The disaster has killed more than 20,000 people till date, and injured 500,000 others. Union Carbide's intentional compromises on safety within the plant Dow Chemical, Carbide’s new owner, has said that it has no intentions of making Union Carbide honour the summons of the Indian court.
Rather than delivering justice to the survivors of the Bhopal disaster, the Government of India is more concerned about foreign investment. It is reluctant to take action against Carbide or Dow for fear of reprisal from the powerful corporations and the corporate-controlled US Government. Even worse, the Government is sitting by idly while Dow-Carbide once again seeks to expand its toxic trade in India.
In early 2004, Dow Chemical expressed its interest in expanding its business in India by offering technology to the Government-owned Indian Oil Corporation for its 300000 mtpa MEG plant in Panipat, Haryana. The technology that is proposed to be supplied by Dow Chemical is a patented Union Carbide technology. This clearly shows the double standards of Dow Chemicals which on one hand is abetting a crime by not producing Union Carbide in the Indian Courts but does not mind selling Union Carbide technology to India for making more profits.
The people in Bhopal are, meanwhile, awaiting justice. In May 2004, Bhopal survivors announced that they will fight Dow Chemical’s plans to expand in India, Asia and other places where Bhopal supporters reside.
We can make Dow Chemicals and Indian Oil Corporation listen:
1. Write to the following:
Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar
Minister of Petroleum,
Room No 201, Shastri Bhavan,
New Delhi 110 001
Tel: 011 23381462 or 2336622.
Fax: 011 23386118
General Manager,
Indian Oil Corporation Bhavan,
139, Nungabakam High Road,
Chennai – 600 034
Phone - 044-28339009
Fax - 044-28279458
Demand that:
1. Indian Oil must not do business with Dow Chemical
2. Dow Chemical and Union Carbide should be blacklisted, and prevented from doing any business in India;
3. Dow Chemical’s assets in India should be attached to force it to produce Union Carbide to face criminal trial in the Bhopal case.
4. Dow Chemical must be made to clean up the toxic contamination in Bhopal, and pay for medical and economic rehabilitation of the survivors and their children.
2. Boycott petrol from the Indian Oil Corporation depots.
3. Write to your local IOC petrol dealer to inform him about your decision to boycott the petrol from IOC depot and urge him to communicate the decision to the concerned officials in IOC.
4. Collect as many signatures in support of the boycott and fax it to the following address:
General Manager,
Indian Oil Corporation Bhavan,
139, Nungabakam High Road,
Chennai – 600 034
Phone - 044-28339009
Fax - 044-28279458
Posted by bhola at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2005
Protest at shameful beating and kicking of survivors who asked politicians to obey Supreme Court order
DEMAND THAT THE POLITICIANS OBEY THE SUPREME COURT.
DEMAND THAT TRUMPED UP CHARGES BE DROPPED.
In response to the brutal police abuse against Bhopal survivors, Amnesty International and ICJB and Greenpeace-India release two advisories. A fax alert to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh will go out today and Amnesty will also be releasing its own appeal to the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile you can join the fax action to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh here.
You can also help "Wake Up" the politicians to their duty by telephoning them at their homes. Details here.
Conitnue reading for coverage from the Amnesty release in the Hindustan Times.
Amnesty voices concern over Bhopal incident
Vijay Dutt
London, May 20, 2005
Amnesty International has voiced its concern at reports of alleged "excessive and unnecessary use of force against protesters by police in Bhopal on May 17, 2005. In a statement it said it had received reports of police violence at approximately 12:30 on May 17, 2005 against some 300 protestors, including women and children.
"The protestors were opposing the failure of the Madhya Pradesh state government to provide clean drinking water to the communities affected by the ongoing contamination of the former Union Carbide plant in Bhopal."
It has called "for a prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation into the incident to examine whether the use of force by police was consistent with national law and international standards including the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, and the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials".
It has also demanded that following investigations, "any officials reasonably suspected of having breached national law or international standards on the use of force should be brought to justice in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness. Those who have suffered harm as a result of excessive use of force should also be adequately compensated".
The Amnesty, basing its information on "reliable sources", said the protestors entered the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation office in Bhopal at around 11:30 am. "Reportedly no one stopped the protesters from entering the building. While in the building, they chanted slogans and beat steel plates with spoons. Police, including 15 male police officers in riot gear, reportedly arrived on the scene around 12:30 and informed the protestors that no authorities were available to speak with them.
"Then, the police allegedly removed protestors, including pushing them down stairs, kicking some women in the chest and stomach, and beating people with sticks. Seven of the protesters were reportedly arrested, charged under the Indian Penal Code and held for approximately four hours.
"The protesters were expressing concern that the May 7, 2004 directive of the Supreme Court of India to supply clean water to those communities affected by contaminated ground water from the Union Carbide factory site has not been implemented."
Amnesty called on the Governments of India and Madhya Pradesh to fully implement the directive, ensuring a regular supply of adequate safe water for the domestic use of the affected communities.
This article appeared in the Hindustan Times.
Posted by bhola at 06:37 PM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2005
Report from Bhopal on the "Wake Up" action that led to police beating women with children
About 300 people (overwhelmingly women) reached the office of the Director, Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief & Rehabilitation (Mr. Manish Rastogi) 0755-2597089 at around 11:30 am. The office building is right opposite the residence of the governor of the state. All women walked into the office without anyone stopping them, and they started beating on the thalis (stainless steel plates for eating) with spoons, which they all had brought with them. Some of the prominent chants were “Jehar Pilana Band Karo, Pani ka Prabandh Karo” (Stop making us drink poisoned water, Arrange for clean water), Supreme Court ka adesh ko lagu karo (Implement Supreme Court’s order). Women also carried signs which stated “America mein Jahar Banaya, Bhej diya Bhopal mein, Dollar ki chal ne jehar ghola Bhopal mein (America manufactured the Poison and sent it to Bhopal. The machinations of the dollar have poisoned people of Bhopal). There was also a big banner saying “We want Kolar water through pipeline).
Lots of electronic and print media were present at the site of the protest. Women were noisy, high spirited and were all over the office of the Director, but they let everything it is place. Except for the music of the chants, everything was peaceful.
We found out that the Director was on leave so we tried calling the office of Iqbal Ahmed (Principal Secretary, Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation 0755-2441424 [o], 2441681 [R]). Police arrived at the scene around 12:30, and finally we were told by the police officer (who had come with the posse of dozen cops with guns and sticks) that no authorities were available to talk to us. The only sub divisional magistrate R.K. Gohen was the senior most official directing the situation. Around 12:45 pm the riot control of 15 men arrived in full gear. All of a sudden they started grabbing people and pushing them down the stairs. There were women holding babies and the policemen were raining sticks on them. Some women were kicked in their chest and stomach, and some of them were clawed by the cops. There were only 2 female cops in the whole and all of the beating was all the beating was done by the male cops. They were literally 200 women with children in the staircase who were being pushed by about 10 different cops and cops also verbally abused several women. Finally everyone was brought outside the office.
Then suddenly police pounced on more people and started beating with sticks, dragging by hair, kicking in chests etc. Seven of us went to stop the police beating and 7 (Sathyu, Rashida, Shahid Noor, Rachna, Vikas, Hazra and Shazadi) of us were taken away in a police van to Jehangirabad stations. We were all shouting chants while in the police van and all the women who were still in the premises were chanting with us. The entire police beating was being videotaped by several TV stations and soon after it was all on national channels.
We all reached the police station around 2:00 pm and were detained there till 6:00 pm. The charges against were obstruction in official duty, illegal occupation, assault and causing disorder. We filed a formal complaint against S.R. Yadav (who incidentally was the in charge of the police station that we were brought to), Anil Rai, and Jai Karan Parihar in the same police station where we were brought. After great difficulty and help from our lawyer we had them accept the formal complaint lodged by us. Meanwhile the 5 seriously injured person (Mr. Nawab Khan 59 years, Mrs. Sanno Bee, 30 years, Mr Mahfooz Khan, 52 years. Mrs. Rani Bee 35 years, Mr Rahees 35 years) were taken to the hospital and were medically examined for their injuries. While 7 of us were in the jail, we heard several chants outside the police station and there were about 100 women standing outside. Despite several announcement by the police, people refused to budge. They did not want to leave while we were still in the custody of police. After a lot of negotiating we were able to convince them go back to their houses.
Once we were realeased, Sathyu, Shahid, Satish Tewari and Vikas all went back to retrieve our motorcycles and lost stuff (slippers, turbans etc). What we found inside the office was that flower pots had been damaged, chairs and tables upturned, curtains pulled down, which only later we found was part of the planted story in 2 of the local electronic media.
After all this we all went back to the affected communities. People were in such good spirits and they looked so happy to see all of us back. We held a meeting in the community and everyone was more than determined to continue with (Neend Udaoo , Drive Sleep Away) campaign for clean water.
Several people told us that we have just launched the Drive Sleep Away campaign and already official have started loosing their sleep.
All of us are in high spirits and thank you all for your quick responses and solidarity.
Will send more later
Posted by bhola at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)
May 13, 2005
Survivors' anger at bungling court interference
We have just received pictures of the protest held on May 11-2005 in Bhopal. Survivors were protesting Alok Pratap Singh's petition filed in MP High Court asking that the State and Central should pay for the clean up cost and failing to mention Dow Chemical, whose 100% subsidiary Union Carbide created and cynically abandoned the contamination.
The masked man is dressed as Alok Pratap Singh, his poster states:
My name is Alok Pratap Singh,
I used to be a government agent
now I am Dow company's agent
Posted by bhola at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)