Press Statement

April 9, 2013

 

200 survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster , alongwith 100 plus activists from Mumbai today demonstrated at the office of Dow Chemical International Private Ltd. at Vikhroli demanding that its parent company in USA clean up toxic contamination from soil and ground water in and around Union Carbide’s abandoned factory. The protestors also demanded that Dow Chemical that owns Union Carbide, USA produce the absconding corporation charged with culpable homicide in the Bhopal court.

 

The survivors said that they were protesting against Dow Chemical’s business in hazardous chemicals in India while the disaster was still continuing in Bhopal with mounting deaths among the survivors and health problems in the next generation.

 

The demonstrators included women and children who have chronic illnesses from drinking local ground water contaminated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals from hazardous wastes recklessly dumped by Union Carbide. Mr. Nawab Khan of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha said that following its take over of Union Carbide in 2001, Dow Chemical is responsible for the horrific birth defects and other health damages caused due to ground water contamination.

 

Mr. Balkrishna Namdeo of Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha said that Dow Chemical remains to pay additional compensation for the deaths and health damages caused by its subsidiary through the December 1984 gas disaster. He said that in 1989 Union Carbide had paid compensation only for 3, 828 deaths whereas the total number of deaths has crossed 25, 000. Likewise, Union Carbide has paid compensation for injuries to 1,02, 000 persons whereas the actual number of persons injured by the disaster according to the state and central governments is 5,68, 293.

 

Ms. Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said that in response to her organization’s application the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal will soon be summoning Dow Chemical’s authorized representative from USA and ask them to show cause why it does not produce its 100 % subsidiary Union Carbide that is absconding from charges of culpable homicide for the last 21 years.

 

Holding a banner saying “No justice in Bhopal, No business in India” Safreen Khan of Children against Dow/Carbide said that the next generation of the survivors of the Bhopal disaster is now ready to carry on with the struggle initiated by their parents. She said that Dow Chemical is facing criminal charges of bribing officials in the central agricultural ministry and has been blacklisted by the central government.

 

 

 

Rashida Bi,

Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh

94256 88215

Nawab Khan,

Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha

9302792493

Balkrishna Namdeo,

Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha

9826345423

Satinath Sarangi, Rachna Dhingra,

Bhopal Group for Information and Action

9826167369

Safreen Khan

Children Against Dow Carbide

 

Contact : c/o 44, Sant Kanwar Ram Nagar, Berasia Road, Bhopal Email: [email protected]

 

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