Call to Action! The 29th Anniversary of the Disaster is on December 3!
The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, North America invites solidarity actions for the 29th anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster.
December 2/3 2013 marks the 29th anniversary of the world’s worst industrial disaster – the Bhopal Gas
- Hosting a Bhopal-related film screening.
- Hosting a candlelit vigil outside your local Dow office/Indian embassy.
- Posting a message of solidarity on our facebook page.
- Sharing this short video with your friends to help educate them about Bhopal.
- Or simply donating to the campaign.
- More action and event ideas can be found here.
Please send us pictures, recaps or notes on your actions so we can convey your message of solidarity to Bhopali survivors/activists, and show them that the world has not forgotten their ongoing struggle!
For more information, please contact: icjb.us.ab@gmail.com.
The Bhopal gas disaster has resulted in 25,000 deaths to date, and currently affects over 500,000 people. Chronic health problems stemming from initial exposure to MIC (including sickness in the respiratory, ocular, neurological, neuromuscular, gynecological and reproductive systems) continue to plague survivors 29 years later. Moreover, unsafe dumping practises by UCC have led to soil/groundwater contamination in 22 communities. Perhaps most tragic is the mutagenic effect of MIC exposure, leading to higher rates of developmental disabilities and congenital malformations amongst the children of survivors. (photo above, copyright David Hoffman)
Despite this, survivors have sustained a 29 year struggle for justice. It is because of this sustained struggle that survivors have been able to achieve a number of important victories, including:
-
Obtaining clean drinking water for more than 50,000 people, including free tap infrastructure.
-
Moving the Supreme Court in 2003 to demand the governmental distribution of all unpaid compensation to survivors granted by the 1989 settlement between Union Carbide Corporation and the Government of India.
-
Obtaining pensions for 5000 gas affected widows.
-
Setting up of a monitoring & advisory committee to oversee research into the health of gas victims.
-
Stopping Dow from making any substantial investment in India. Dow’s projects in Pune and Gujarat have been cancelled.
-
Securing the blacklisting of Dow Agro Science for 5 years in India for bribing Indian officials.
-
Stopping an unjust and perfunctory settlement between the Indian Government and Dow Chemical of ongoing criminal cases against Dow by exposing lobbying information obtained through the Right to Information Act.
-
Convincing the Government of India to take up the Polluter Pays Principle, leading it to continue to press Dow and Union Carbide liability for the gas leak and environmental damages.
We are grateful for your continued support!
Share this:
