The marchers joined the group of victims who are on relay hunger strike since July 30 in front of the factory. Earlier in the day, a delegation of leaders of victims' organizations and representatives of trade unions met with the governor of the state to present a memorandum addressed to the President of India.

The Memorandum addressed to the President seeks the intervention of the first citizen to stop what the organizations call "gross injustice" in the case of the Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal. Specifically it demands that the CBI should withdraw its application for dilution of criminal charges against Warren Anderson former Chairman of Union Carbide and prime accused in the criminal case. The memorandum calls upon the Indian Government to take immediate steps for extradition and prosecution of Anderson. The campaigners also demand that Union Carbide's new owner Dow Chemical Company be included in the list of accused in the criminal case in Bhopal.

The protestors demand that the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers that is in charge of matters related to the disaster must ensure that the balance of compensation fund in the Supreme Court is distributed among the gas victims. They insist that the Government of India holds Dow Chemicals liable for clean up of the contaminated factory site and surrounding and for arranging long-term medical and economical rehabilitation for the survivors.

The protestors held a banner that showed the Prime Minister saluting a US flag in which the stars are replaced by Dow Chemical's logo. In the banner that was embroidered by gas affected women the PM is seen to be standing over bodies of gas victims.

According to Mrs. Rashida Bi, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh the Centre's decisions to dilute charges against Anderson and pay for clean-up of contamination from the balance of compensation funds are a result of behind-the-scenes pressure by the U.S. Government on the Government of India to protect Dow Chemical, from having to face up to the pending liabilities of the Bhopal gas disaster. " Sixty years back Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India movement against the 'Company sarkar'. Today the 'sarkar' [government]is serving the multinational companies and there is a need to launch a Quit India movement against such agents", says Mrs. Rashida.

Mr. Pramod Pradhan State Secretary of CITU and Mr. Roop Singh Chauhan State Secretary of AITUC offered the support of their respective organizations to the campaign for justice in Bhopal. " Establishing American multinational Dow Chemical's liability for the Bhopal disaster is an issue of national and international importance and we will fight the government's collusion with the company", said Mr. Pradhan. According to Mr. Chouhan the Indian government is putting the health and lives of workers and ordinary citizens of this country to risk through its "deliberate neglect" in prosecuting the foreign accused in the criminal case.

Addressing the rally, Mr. Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, described the worldwide hunger-strike in support of the Bhopal victims. He said that Ms.Diane Wilson, an American activist was on the 24th day of her fast in support of the demands of the Bhopal victims. According to Mr. Sarangi, on August 6, Ms. Wilson who is on fast right in front of Dow-Union Carbide's Seadrift factory in Texas herself witnessed the spillage of 12,000 lbs. of butyl carbitol that is toxic to the embryo and causes congenital birth defects.

At the end of the rally Mrs. Rashida and Mr Sarangi launched a novel campaign of sending brooms to Dow. They appealed to people in Bhopal and elsewhere to send a broom to their nearest Dow office. This they say is to remind Dow that they "have a lot of mess to clean up in Bhopal". While the relay hunger strike will continue till August 27th the organizations plan to observe August 15th as "Freedom from Corporate Rule" day.

Rashida Bi, President
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh
Satinath Sarangi, Member

Bhopal Group for Information and Action

Contact :
1. House No. 12, Gali No. 2, Near Naseer Masjid, Bag Umrao Dulha, Bhopal
2. B-2 / 302, Sheetal Nagar, Berasia Road, Bhopal