Tag Archives: compensation

Additional Compensation for Bhopalis: Why is the Prime Minister Silent

Press Conference
February 25, 2016

At a Press Conference today, leaders of five organizations of survivors of the Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal, condemned the deliberate neglect of the central and state governments towards the curative petition for additional compensation from American corporations. The organizations also launched a postcard campaign requesting the Supreme Court Registrar for an early hearing on the curative petition against Union Carbide and its owner Dow Chemical Company.

“It is now more than five years since the government filed the curative petition and there has been no hearing yet.” said Rashida Bee of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh who was honoured by the President of India with the “Women Achievers Award” last month. “It is indeed shameful that the government has not moved a single petition for urgent hearing on additional compensation. Meanwhile, victims of the disaster continue to die battling economic hardship caused due to exposure related ill health and paltry compensation.” she added.

Balkrishna Namdeo, of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha said that the government’s neglect towards the legal rights of the Bhopal victims to adequate compensation is evident in its carelessness regarding figures of injury and death. “Despite the central minister’s promise made over an year ago, the figures of injury and death in the curative petition remain downplayed to a fraction of the actual damage.” he said.

According to Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action, the government’s submissions arguing for 1.2 billion dollars additional compensation before the Supreme Court run to 474 pages. In contrast, Union Carbide and Dow Chemical’s arguments for holding the 470 million dollar settlement of 1989 to be full and final run to 3657 pages together. “Its not just the number of pages, the quality of arguments and the presentation of facts too need much improvement, but most of all hearings on the curative must begin.” he said.

Nawab Khan of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha said that the most recent submission by the government is a 7 page affidavit containing grammatical and factual errors by an Under secretary of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. “This shows what a low priority matter the curative petition is for our governments.” he added.

“The government’s neglect towards preparing a sound case for additional compensation and  towards having the petition heard are only benefitting the American corporations. The American President made a British corporation pay 20 billion dollars for 11 deaths. Why is our Prime Minister looking the other way when two American corporations are being asked to pay 5 % of that amount for over 25000 deaths by our government ? said Safreen Khan of Children Against Dow Carbide.

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

8718035409

9826345423

9826167369

Featured Image Credit: The Hindu

Hindi Press Release Coming Soon

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Press Statement: Demanding Compensation and Clean Up, Survivors Lock Themselves to Chief Minister’s Residence

Press Statement               18 September 2014

More images below

At noon today survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster, neighbourhood residents of the abandoned Union Carbide factory and their supporters locked themselves to the Chief Minister’s residence seeking adequate compensation and clean up of the contaminated factory site.

Outside the CM’s residence several carried out a die-in and hundreds of protesters gathered to remind the state government of its constitutional duties towards the victims of Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.

Five survivors’ and supporters’ organisations who jointly led the protest said that today’s action was part of the recently announced campaign around the 30th anniversary of the disaster.

The organisations demanded that the state government revise the figures of death and injury in the curative petition for additional compensation and call for its urgent hearing.

Continue reading Press Statement: Demanding Compensation and Clean Up, Survivors Lock Themselves to Chief Minister’s Residence

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Press Conference: Fighting for Justice, Survivors Will Begin Indefinite Fast Without Water

(Image from September 18th, 2014 Action at Chief Minister’s residence)

September 12, 2014

At a press conference today, five organizations working for the welfare of survivors of the December ‘84 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal today announced that a group of survivors and their supporters would be going on an indefinite fast without water to remind the central government of its responsibilities towards the curative petition for compensation pending in the Supreme Court of India.

The organizations said that the government had filed a curative petition in the apex court on December 3, 2010, the 26th anniversary of the disaster seeking additional compensation from Union Carbide, USA and its owner The Dow Chemical Company, USA for the disaster in Bhopal.

Continue reading Press Conference: Fighting for Justice, Survivors Will Begin Indefinite Fast Without Water

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Survivors’ Letter to Prime Minister Re: Petition for Additional Compensation

August 1, 2014

Honourable Prime Minister,

Government of India, North Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi 110 011

Subject: Urgent Directions for Filing of Application for Amending Civil Curative Petition No 345-347/2010 for Additional Compensation before Supreme Court on August 5, 2014.

Dear Sir,  

On behalf of the survivors of the December 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal we wish to draw your urgent attention to the hearing of the Curative Petition filed by the Government of India on December 3, 2010 that is scheduled to be heard on August 5, 2014.

For the last several years we have attempted to apprise the Prime Minister’s office that the figures of exposure related deaths and injuries in the Curative Petition filed by the Government of India are wrong and without any basis.

The government’s curative petition mentions a figure of 5,295 deaths caused by the disaster, which happens to be one fourth of the figures of death reported by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in its epidemiological report published in 2004. Likewise, the petition mentions that 93 % of the victims were only temporarily injured which is against the findings of the ICMR.

You can stop a great injustice being done to the Bhopal victims by issuing directions for filing an application before the Supreme Court on August 5, 2014 for amendment of the Curative Petition. Figures based on ICMR’s scientific research can then be incorporated in the amended Curative Petition.

We request you to issue directions to concerned officials in the Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizers for filing an application before the Supreme Court for amendment of the Curative Petition on August 5, 2014.

 

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Bhopal survivors support Koodankulam struggle

Observing Shahid Bhagat Singh Divas on 23 March, more than 250 survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster sat on a day-long fast in support of the Koodankulam struggle against the nuclear power plant. Condemning Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s act of charging Koodankulam protestors with “Sedition,” Bhopal survivors said that Bhagat Singh’s fate would have been no different in independent India than at the hands of the white colonial masters.

Continue reading Bhopal survivors support Koodankulam struggle

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