On Bhopal gas tragedy eve, survivors' groups slam BJP over 'denial' of justice

On the eve of the 41st anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy, four organisations representing survivors on Monday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of denying them justice and prolonging their suffering, a charge stoutly denied by the saffron party.

At least 5,479 people died and thousands were maimed for life after the highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)'s pesticide unit in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, in one of the worst industrial disasters in the world.

At a press conference marking the 41st anniversary of the disaster, the organisations released a "Bhopal Survivors' Chargesheet against the BJP" and alleged the party, currently in power in Madhya Pradesh and at the Centre, has consistently served the interests of US corporations over those of Indian citizens.

Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, said, "The BJP in the state government and at the Centre has betrayed the Bhopal gas tragedy survivors like no other political party."

"A prominent member of BJP is known to have protected Union Carbide's local management from charges of poisoning water around the factory and another prominent member wrote a legal opinion absolving Dow Chemical (the current owner of Union Carbide) of its environmental liabilities in Bhopal which was contrary to the Indian government's official opinion," she alleged.

Balkrishna Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha, said, "Then-Union Home Minister LK Advani in 2002, directed the prosecuting agency CBI to seek dilution of criminal charges against Warren Anderson (former CEO of US firm UCC) and Union Carbide in the criminal case related to the disaster. Credit must go to the judge in the Bhopal district court who rejected CBI's application and prevented this injustice against the victims."

Commenting on rehabilitation measures, Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action said, "Medical and economic rehabilitation of Bhopal survivors have been worst under the BJP rule.

"In 2008, under the Congress rule at the Centre, we were granted our demand for setting up of an Empowered Commission on Bhopal for long-term rehabilitation (of survivors), but the then-BJP Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan stopped it. Today, the survivors are suffering in the absence of such a commission," Dhingra alleged.

Nawab Khan, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, maintained that American multinational Dow Chemical, which bought Union Carbide in 1999, continues to expand its business in India.

"Despite being legally forbidden, public sector undertakings are brazenly purchasing Union Carbide's products from Dow Chemical and the corporation is expanding its business in India like never before," Khan alleged.

However, the Madhya Pradesh BJP rejected the allegations made by the organisations.

"Our government has always treated issues concerning the Bhopal gas survivors with priority and seriousness, whether they relate to judicial matters, medical treatment or any other subject. I respectfully disagree with all the allegations levelled against the BJP," state party spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi asserted.