Dear Comrade Karat: On behalf of four organizations that have been fighting for the rights to justice and a life of dignity of the people poisoned by Union Carbide, we much welcome your initiative in supporting the 26 years old struggle of the survivors of Bhopal.
We regret that except what has appeared in the media none of us have any information on your visit. We hear that there will be a public meeting, but have no information on where it will be and at what time. Three of our organizations were not even informed, let alone consulted, before the all party meeting to support the cause of the Bhopal survivors was announced to the media and general public.
We are thankful for the support we have received over the years from members of parliament belonging to your party. At the same time we wish to convey our dismay that the West Bengal government eagerly sought investment by The Dow Chemical Company (TDCC), USA current owner of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), USA, to set up a chemical complex near Haldia, West Bengal.
We hope that as part of your renewed commitment to the survivors of Bhopal you will please ensure that in all states where your party is in power, investment by TDCC is not welcome. Further, in the three states where your party is in power, an executive order to blacklist products manufactured by TDCC, UCC and EIIL (Eveready Industries India Limited, formerly Union Carbide India Limited) would put substantial pressure upon these corporations to fulfill their legal liabilities for the ongoing disasters due to toxic gas leak and environmental contamination.
We will much appreciate the support of your party members and supporters:
a. to initiatives in medical care, research and monitoring, economic and social rehabilitation by survivors and supporters organizations through financial help and volunteers.
b. to ongoing efforts towards assessment of the depth and spread of toxic contamination.
c. in producing a critique of the pollution studies carried out by CSIR agencies such as NEERI, NGRI and IICT and medical research carried out by the ICMR and the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
d. in organizing a national consumer boycott of products manufactured
by TDCC, UCC and EIIL.
We will much appreciate your party’s initiatives in organizing nationwide public protests directed at putting pressure on the central government :
a. to disburse adequate additional compensation for all deaths and personal injuries caused by the Union Carbide gas disaster, including deaths occurring after 1997 and those wrongfully rejected.
b. to move on the extradition of the authorized representatives of two US corporations, UCC and Union Carbide Eastern Incorporated, Hong Kong (reincarnated as Union carbide Asia Pacific and Union Carbide Asia Ltd.)
c. to set up the Empowered Commission on Bhopal (ECoB) for long term medical, economic, social and environmental rehabilitation of the people poisoned by Union Carbide’s toxic gases and hazardous wastes.
d. to take legal and extra-legal action against TDCC’s Indian subsidiary (albeit, veiled) Dow Chemical International Pvt. Ltd. and towards enforcement of jurisdiction of Indian courts. As you are aware, for the last five years, TDCC has been stonewalling central government’s application for Rs. 100 Crores to be paid by TDCC as advance for clean up of toxic wastes in Bhopal by claiming (through its counsel Abhishek M Sanghvi) to be outside the jurisdiction of the MP High Court.
e. to stop immediately the incineration of Union Carbide’s hazardous wastes at Pithampur, Dhar. The incinerator newly built for this purpose, blatantly violates CPCB guidelines and has already, on June 25, 2010 caused toxic exposure and injury to six workers. Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, proposes to hold a meeting in Bhopal on July 5 at which he is expected to defend the indefensible stand of the government with regard to the disposal of Union Carbide’s hazardous waste.
f. to scrap immediately plans for dismantling the MIC and Sevin plant and other remaining structures of the abandoned factory and involving the survivors in creating a living memorial to the disaster that informs present and future generations about the worst corporate massacre in world history.
g. to include information and analysis on the two ongoing disasters in Bhopal in school and college text books.
In these times, when there are attempts to legitimize the injustices following the Union Carbide disaster through the Civil Nuclear Liabilities Bill, the struggle for justice in Bhopal has aquired greater meaning and significance than ever. We are thankful for your commitment to support this ongoing struggle.
Yours sincerely,
Rashida Bee, Champa Devi Shukla
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh
Syed M Irfan,
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha
Rachna Dhingra, Satinath Sarangi,
Bhopal Group for Information and Action
98261 67369
Safreen Khan
Children Against Dow Carbide
Contact: c/o: ICJB, 44 Sant Kanwar Ram Nagar, Berasia Road, Bhopal, MP-462001
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With all regards to organisations that are fighting for the cause of victims of bhoopal, I just want to point out that Left Front Govt of West Bengal never sought investment from Dow as claimed in the above statement. I will request you to please check facts and dont be lured by sheer rumor-mongering. In fact, in West Bengal the Left forces are campaigning very widely on bhoopal and related questions.
Secondly, CPI(M) has taken the first initiative and consistent stand against Nuclear liability bill. In West Bengal, the question is not merely academic, the left forces have already initiated a vigorous campaign againt the bill.
-Debasish. Kolkata
Please refer GoM report regarding setting up a full fledged ICMR Research Centre at Bhopal. GoI approved the report including commissioning of this Centre. But the apex Medical Research body; ICMR would disassociate with this Centre and they are taking steps to cancel this decision. The ICMR has to establish this Centre within 90 days from the date of approval of cabinet. In 1994 the ICMR closed down Bhopal Gas Disaster Research Centre, Bhopal and handed over this Centre to Government of Madhya Pradesh and now it runs as Centre for Rehabilitation Studies at Gandhi Medical College Bhopal. In the GoM report it is also mentioned that the Staff of Centre for Rehabilitation Studies should be taken over by ICMR. But the ICMR is not interested to do so. Because they could not collect money doing so, they are interested to new appointment. Almost one month has, passed no action has been taken to establish this Centre. CPI(M) has to take initiative in this matter to enable the Bhopal Gas victims to avail of the medical research facilities.
The Indian communist parties stranded in 1940 – admits Parkash Karat
A confession from the CPM general secretary; Prakash Karat thus finds a place in the history along with Mikhail Gurbachev. The Communist intellectual finally realized the time has changed; even the symbols on the red flags – hammer and sickle – are outdated tools.
The communist parties have a long history; history of destruction, devastation, and ravaging. The communists conduct strikes on daily basis to destroy private enterprises and factories which they consider as workers’ victory over the capitalists or feudalists. After closure of factories, workers and their families starve; still dauntless workers do not regret or weep. The ‘communist tutorials’ have already indoctrinated workers’ brains and converted them into silent faithful followers, the comrades. They are disciplined to believe that the difficulties on their paths are just temporary hurdles on their long march into a bright red world. In such a communist world all are equal; well fed, dressed and accommodated; spend their time leisurely singing communist revolutionary songs. ‘Workingmen of all countries unite’ chanted rhythmically is enough to make blood running in their veins elated….gleeful.
Now Mr. Karat realizes there is some thing wrong in the communist party manifesto continued for the last 60 plus years in India. Just like in the Eastern European countries and in the Soviet Union the magic words of socialism and communism faded away like the morning mist when the sun begins to shine. Karl Marx ideology of ‘from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs’ remained only a dream; never came true. The ‘self interest’ was alien in the ideology of Karl Mark.
Karl Marx’s many quotes are weird “Machines were, it may be said, the weapons employed by the capitalists to quell the revolt of specialized labor”. Can we imagine of a world with no machineries!! “Landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed”. Many years have passed after Karl Marx and his ‘Das Kapital’. At present in Kerala landlords are not existent, totally annihilated; but no labors to replace… to sow or to reap. All lands are barren and while labors are busy; from early morning till late night to make long queue to buy their daily quota of spirit from the Kerala state beverages cooperation.
Many in India always doubt intentions and integrity of the communist parties. No creativity whatsoever in their ideologies, always protests and mass destruction of public properties, rights are always loudly postulated, while duties are mutely declined. Any bandh, strike, hartal or any preplan to stop work would be welcomed by the people of Kerala and West Bengal. It is not a surprise; laziness is a culture embedded in their genes; the people are contented with employment to claim their wages, not ready to work. The mystery of India does not end with snake charmers and black magicians; but also these nitwit dirty politicians are also a subject to wonder.
P.G. Rajagopal CPA
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
raj@alnasruae.com