DYFI memorandum to The President of India on Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case

Memorandum to Her Excellency, The President of India

To
Her Excellency,
The President of India
Rashtrapati Bhawan
New Delhi.

Her Excellency,

The 7th June 2010 judgement in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy case has yet again brought to light the fact that how our ruling classes and big corporates have treated and are continue to treat the common majority of our people. This judgement has yet again shown the dangerous dimensions of surrendering our sovereignty to big and mighty profit seeking corporates. For the ruling classes and their political representatives, for the big corporates like Union Carbide, the 20,000 people who died and another tens of thousands who were physically affected in the worlds worst industrial disaster in Bhopal were poor and expandable and that is why it took 26 years to yield a minuscule penalty. It was obvious that this double tragedy of justice delayed and justice denied has outraged the people at large and brought the important questions to the fore which needs to be answered by the Central Government.

Meanwhile, the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to look in to the measures to be taken on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy has finalized its recommendations. But apart from the suggestions such as filing of the curative petition against the order of the Supreme Court of March 1997, there are serious problems regarding the recommendations of the GoM. Moreover, the GoM has failed to provide the answers to important questions and in providing assurance to the people that in future their lives and safety shall not be compromised.

In such a situation, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is conducting a nationwide campaign and as part of this campaign has decided to send emails to seek the intervention of the highest office of the country on the following issues and demand:

1. The Government must bring the main accused, Warren Anderson, to India and initiate a criminal case against him.

2. The Government must initiate a criminal case against the politician, bureaucrats and judicial authorities, involved in protecting the accused, tampering with evidences and misusing their official position.

3. The Compensation package offered by the GoM is based on flawed estimation of deaths and injuries and the amount of compensation is meager. Over the years the death and disabilities caused by the gas leak is far higher than what was then officially recorded, with succeeding generations inheriting the health and environmental disabilities. The Central Government should, first arrange for a credible current calculation of compensation requirements and then ensure its speedy disbursement to the affected people.

4. There is no serious effort to make the Dow Chemical Company, which took over the Union Carbide, liable for the damages and compensation. The Government should take a firm stand that the entire expenses for the remediation and environmental clean up at the Bhopal factory site should be borne by the Dow Chemical company.

5. In order to ensure safety of the lives of the people in future there should be strict laws to assign and fix civil and criminal liability. The Nuclear Liability Bill must now be seen through the happenings of Bhopal Gas Leak.