The struggle for justice and punishment of the guilty still continues

Public demonstrations, dharnas, film screenings, poetry reading, public meetings and other forms of protest in Bhopal and in nearly 80 places in 20 states across India as well as in many other countries all over the world marked the week leading up to December 2-3, 2009, the 25th anniversary of one of the worst industrial disasters, the Bhopal gas tragedy. 

Over the past 25 years, survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy together with activists of numerous mass organizations all over the country have kept up the struggle for justice to the victims and punishment of the guilty. This persistent struggle has won it the support of people in many countries all over the world.

The Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangthan (BGPMUS), which is working for the cause of gas victims since 1984, took out a procession in Bhopal on December 3, following a public meeting at the Yadgar-e-Shahjahani Park. More than 3,000 victims, a majority of them women, participated in the meeting and the rally. The procession passed through various localities of old Bhopal, around Union Carbide plant and culminated at Chhola cremation ground where Anderson's effigy was burnt and a pledge taken to carry on the fight for justice.

Another rally was taken out jointly by the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh (BGPMSKS), Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha (BGPMPSM) and Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA). Activists raised slogans denouncing the government and called for immediate implementation of the assurances given to them by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 29, last year, of adequate medical relief, rehabilitation and clean water to the poisoned people of Bhopal. The procession included over a thousand survivors of the gas disaster and those being poisoned due to contamination of ground water.

Children from the newly formed "Children against Dow-Carbide", people from pollution impacted communities from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and international supporters from China, England, France, Italy, Japan, New Zeeland, the Philippines, Scotland, Switzerland, Thailand and the US also participated.

The procession passed through the communities severely affected by the gas disaster and ended in a public meeting around the memorial to the disaster in front of the abandoned pesticide factory.

Clay statues of women, men and children overpowering an effigy of Dow Chemical were garlanded by the campaigners and then Dow Chemical effigy was burnt amidst slogans raised against the criminals. International supporters of the campaign were honoured at the public meeting, which ended with children singing songs about the long struggle of the victims.

A rally was also held on December 3 outside the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, where suffering survivors held up placards and banners denouncing the government and officials of Union Carbide and Dow Chemicals. A tableaux and other installations depicting guilty behind the bars and faces of Indian prime minister and Congress party president on effigy of donkey and dog respectively were part of the rally. Protestors at the rally vowed to continue the struggle for justice, punishment of the guilty, relief and rehabilitation and a life of dignity for the sufferers.

Victims of the tragedy and their families organized a candle light vigil on the night of December 2, in Bhopal and various other places.

On December 2, activists of The Bhopal Medical Appeal organized a “die-in” at Trafalgar Square in London. Dressed in white sheets symbolizing funeral shrouds, they highlighted the struggle and sufferings of the victims of the Bhopal tragedy.

The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights-South (NPMHR) staged a "mass die-in" at Senapati Bazaar in Imphal, Manipur on December 3, to express anger over the Bhopal tragedy of 1984. Activists demanded that Dow Chemical and its subsidiary Union Carbide be made to face trial in India for its crimes, that the government fulfill on an urgent basis, its responsibility of cleaning up the toxic materials from the plant site, addressing the health, environmental and economic issues of the affected people of Bhopal and providing them clean drinking water.

On November 29, survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy staged a protest in Bhopal and burned effigies of Warren Anderson, then Chairman of the Union Carbide, demanding his arrest. During the protest, the victims demanded that the Government should extradite Anderson, who currently stays in New York. The victims also put forth their demands of pension for the widows of the gas victims, pure drinking water and removal of toxic waste, which is still lying in the vicinity of the Union Carbide's plant.

From November 28, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha and Bhopal Group for Information and Action, joined with the victims of the tragedy to stage a week-long protest to denounce the government’s claim that the wastes at the plant site ‘are not hazardous’ and the inaction of the central and state governments in cleaning up these toxic wastes. The protest action named 'Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kate' (a traditional saying in Hindi to mean that the crow bites the liar), included the victims inviting the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Minister of Local Self Governance and other bureaucrats and ministers to a ‘poison free feast’ made of toxins present at the UC plant and water from hand pumps in its vicinity. Needless to say, none of the invitees showed up for the ‘feast’.

On November 29, the protesters gathered outside Dow Chemical’s office at Sector-62, NOIDA, U.P. and burnt effigies symbolising Dow Chemicals. They raised slogans against Dow and declared that protests to force the company to quit India would continue till it accepted liability in Bhopal. Organisations such as Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila-Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information and Action and Children Against Dow-Carbide took part in the protest.

A statement issued on the occasion pointed out that while Dow proclaims its innocence to the media it continues to shy away from dialogue with gas tragedy victims.

"In Europe, over the past month, two Dow offices - Dow Benelux and Dow Sweden - promised to meet a delegation of Bhopal survivors and supporters. Both cancelled at the last minute after receiving instructions from the head office in Midland, Michigan," a statement said.

"Because of the struggle of survivors, Dow Chemical has not been able to make any significant investment in the country after it took over Union Carbide in 2001. And now that the second generation of survivors has also joined the struggle, things will only go worse for Dow Chemical," said Hazra Bee, a long time leader of the survivors.

"Supporters from more than 80 locations in 20 states around India, in addition to 50 locations in 17 countries have expressed their intent to take action in support of the Bhopal survivors this year. Dow offices in several parts of the world will be the target of demonstrations by supporters in the week beginning Dec 3, 2009," the statement added.

According to the statement, some of the countries where solidarity activities are planned include Germany, Italy, France, Britain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Israel, Switzerland, Thailand, China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Canada and the US.

In the capital, Delhi, several organizations working in defence of people’s rights held dharnas, processions and meetings, denouncing the central and state governments and demanding justice for the Bhopal victims. Among other such actions, on December 6, activists of Lok Raj Sangathan marched in a procession through the workers’ residential colonies in South Delhi, demanding punishment for those guilty of such heinous crimes against our people. They called on the people to get organized to take political power in their own hands, so that such mass crimes do not go unpunished.

Joining all these voices of protest, MEL severely condemns the Indian state for its cruel complicity with the mass murderers of our people. We demand that the guilty be punished and immediate steps be taken to prevent further hazards and rehabilitate the affected, so that the rights and dignity of our people may be vindicated.