April 09, 2006
By Indo Asian News Service
Bhopal, April 9 (IANS) Victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy will stage a protest before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence in Delhi Monday, demanding ‘proper’ rehabilitation and the extradition of Union Carbide’s former chairman.
The demonstrators left for the national capital Sunday, said a representative of the victims.
The protestors include survivors of the tragedy caused by the leak of over 40 tonnes of lethal methyl isocyanate gas from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984, in Bhopal. The leak killed 20,000 and maimed thousands more.
The protest is being organised by the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udhyog Sangathan (BGPMUS) – the oldest body fighting for the survivors.
A criminal case against the then Union Carbide chairman Warren Anderson has been pending in the Bhopal sessions court since 1987. Over the last 19 years, the court issued innumerable bailable and non-bailable warrants for his production before it but to no avail.
‘Even after 14 years, the Indian government has failed to execute the warrants due to non-cooperation of the US administration,’ BGPMUS convenor Abdul Jabbar said Sunday.
The victims, Jabbar said, will demand the formation of an autonomous body that will monitor the rehabilitation of those affected. Other demands include a five-fold increase in compensation, better medical facilities, drinking water in the affected areas and punishment of the guilty.
Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

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