Survivors Demand Justice, a Life of Dignity and to Stop Sheltering Corporations

Press Statement

December 3, 2016

Hundreds of survivors of the World’s worst industrial disaster on December 3, 1984 in Bhopal, India marched today in a rally from the city centre to the pesticide factory of the American multinational Union Carbide. The marchers held banners, chanted slogans and at the end of the rally, set fire to the logos of Union Carbide and its current owner Dow Chemical along with the US flag.

Leaders of five survivors’ organizations who jointly organized the rally, called upon the governments of USA, India and Madhya Pradesh state to stop sheltering and colluding with the corporations and ensure justice and a life of dignity for the half million survivors.

“The US government is sheltering Dow Chemical for the last two years by refusing to serve the notices of the Bhopal District court against the US corporation in the ongoing criminal case on the disaster. It must stop violating the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty it signed with India in 1991. ” said Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh and winner of the Goldman Environmental prize.

Balkrishna Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha said “The collusion between the Indian government and these American corporations is the main reason for the denial of justice and rehabilitation to the survivors for the last 32 years.” “ That and the fact that half of the gassed people are Muslims and 80 % of the Hindus are from lower castes.” he added.

“Our Prime Minister paid special attention to the menu for the dinner he invited Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical’s CEO to. But he remains oblivious to the need for revision of figures of injury and death in the curative petition for additional compensation to the survivors pending before the Supreme Court for last six years.” said Nawab Khan of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha.

Charging the state government with deliberate negligence, Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said, “The Madhya Pradesh government has known about contamination of ground water in and around the pesticide factory since 1991. Yet till today it has taken no legal steps to make Dow Chemical pay for the clean up or for the health damages to thousands of residents living next to the abandoned factory.”

“The long disastrous aftermath of the man made disaster in Bhopal is also man made. The disaster can end today if the governments of USA, India and Madhya Pradesh respect national and international laws, follow their respective constitutions and fulfill promises made.” said Safreen Khan of the Children Against Dow Carbide, an organization of next generation of survivors.

Rashida Bi,	Nawab Khan,	Balkrishna Namdeo,	Satinath Sarangi, Rachna Dhingra,	Safreen Khan,
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh	Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha	Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha	Bhopal Group for Information and Action	Children Against Dow Carbide
94256 88215		9826345423	9826167369