NEW DELHI: A group of Bhopal gas tragedy victims and their supporters on Tuesday began an indefinite hunger strike here to press their demand for economic and medical rehabilitation of the survivors of the world’s worst industrial disaster.
“The government cannot ignore us. We have come here for justice and we are not leaving here without it,” Shehzadi Bee, and two other gas tragedy victims – Champa Devi and Sanjay Verma – and three supporters – Satinath Sarangi, Satish Kumar and Rachna Dhingra — told reporters.
The demands of the protestors, who had arrived here 15 days ago, also include clean water for the community, prosecution of Union Carbide officals and making the owner of Union Carbide pay for the clean-up of toxic contamination.
Two French nationals will also join the hunger strike for the next three days which will be followed by a Texan fisherwoman activist in the United States.
Supporters in the United States would organise candle-light vigils to express solidarity with them, they said.
The six strikers had earlier been part of a 46-member team which undertook an 800-km ‘padyatra’ from Bhopal to Delhi to further the cause of the gas tragedy survivors.
One of the three victims Verma had lost his parents and siblings on the night of the disaster while Devi and Bee were affected by the gas and water contamination after the tragedy which struck in 1984.

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