As part of the ongoing worldwide relay hunger strike to protest against Dow's refusal to acknowledge its liabilities in India, more than 130 people from Tamilnadu have fasted since 18 July along with 350 other people, mostly women, from many countries, including Italy, France, UK, USA, South Africa, Switzerland and Australia.
The hunger strike worldwide and the dharna-cum-relay hunger strike by survivors outside the abandoned Union Carbide factory in Bhopal will continue until 27 August. By then, a ruling by the Bhopal court is expected on the application by the CBI seeking dilution of criminal charges against Warren Anderson, the chief accused and former Chairman of Union Carbide, from "homicide" to "negligence." Gas-affected people, who have been pressuring the Government to follow through with legal proceedings against Anderson and Dow-Carbide, have reacted strongly against the Governments refusal to uphold its own laws. They have condemned the United States for protecting criminals and arm-twisting India into ending the criminal proceedings against Anderson and Dow-Carbide.
Dow-Carbide claims that all liabilities arising from the Bhopal gas disaster of 1984 were extinguished by the settlement it reached with the Indian government. Eighteen years after the disaster, the survivors and their children continue to suffer for lack of compensation, and medical and economic rehabilitation. About 95 percent of the victims have received a measly Rs. 25,000 ($500) as "lifetime compensation." Dow-Carbide's public affairs officer Kathy Hunt has declared that "$500 is plenty good for an Indian." Taken over the 18 years, the value of the survivors "lifetime compensation" works out at the price of one cup of tea per day. In fact, Dow-Carbide's liabilities in Bhopal are mounting with every passing day more than 30 people continue to succumb to gas-related health problems every month, and serious birth defects have begun appearing in a new generation of Bhopals children.
Dow-Carbide has opened an office in India with four subsidiaries, and is marketing a dangerous brand of pesticide that has been banned in U.S. homes because of its deadly effects on children.
The worldwide relay strike, launched by Texas-based fisherwoman Diane Wilson, who is on the 24th day of her fast outside a polluting Dow-Carbide factory in her hometown, Seadrift, Texas, will be taken to Johannesburg during the Earth Summit later this month. Activists attending the Earth Summit plan to expose Dow-Carbide and other MNCs for their human rights and environmental violations. "Dow-Carbide has carved itself a permanent seat in the already crowded corporate hall of shame, alongwith other infamous companies like Enron, WorldCom, Vivendi and Modi Xerox," NCJB said.
Supporting organizations in Chennai include the CITU, AITUC, INTUC, AICCTU, All India Democratic Women's Association, People's Union for Civil Liberties, Tamilnadu Women's Collective, Tamilnadu Construction Workers Panchayat Sangam, Tamilnadu Meenavar Munnetra Sangam (Tamilnadu Fisherfolk Development Organisation), Pasumai Thaayagam, Tamilnadu Udal Uzhaippu Thozhilalar Sangam (TN Manual Labourers Association), Penn Urimai Iyakkam (Womens Rights Organisation), Human Rights Tamilnadu Initiative and CorpWatch India.
For the National Campaign for Justice in Bhopal
Nityanand Jayaraman
No. 6, III Avenue, Besant Nagar
Chennai 600 090
Tel: 98400 98935
Email:
nity68@vsnl.com In New Delhi:
B15, (Second Floor), Gulmohar Park
New Delhi 110 049
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