The Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a betrayal by the entire system. It stays so even today.
A certain pesticide plant was set up by Union Carbide in the outskirts of Bhopal. The chemical involved in processing this pesticide was methyl isocyanate. This is a highly dangerous chemical and has various effects ranging from cough to death. We also know it as what terrorists use for immediate death in fear of arrest. In movies, we see them having something from a small bullet shaped steel container in the neck. This is it.
Around midnight on December 2–3, 1984, there was a leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other substances from the plant, resulting in the exposure of several thousands of people.
In 1982, a safety audit inspection done by a group of people from the US proved that the plant could be a reason for 61 major hazards. These were fixed in the US plant but not the Indian one. Six months prior to the incident the safety engineer, an Indian who was part of setting up the plant resigned saying that if the plant functioned in the same manner it could lead to a “major disaster”. These statements are on record.
On the night of the disaster, all the 6 safety units were found to be not functioning and out of order. It was later discovered that this was a result of cost-cutting policies. Not only this, but the chemical was to be kept in its liquid form. This too, was not done for the same reason and the refrigeration unit was shut. If this was taken care of, there would never have been a leak. These cost-cutting policies were adopted when the company failed to show profits. The leak was not noticed for a very long time as the siren too was not working. After the realization dawned, again nothing could be done as the safety units were out of order.
A lady narrates what happened to her:- “ My father in law was vomiting blood and was losing consciousness. We tried to wait but couldn’t. Everyone was running for their life. We left my father-in-law to fate and ran. We became part of a stampede. For days there were people lying around. They couldn’t move a bit. They pissed and crapped in the same clothes for days. With every passing moment, we wished for death.”
Soon after it was known what happened, doctors rushed to rescue. They did not know what exactly the gas was. Usually, the instructions are given by the company as to what is to be done in the case of leaks etc. When the company was called, it said, “It’s just clear gas, throw water on the eyes and it shall work.” There were no more instructions.
Doctors who knew what exactly had happened started treating the patients as soon as they could. Dr. Anant Phadke and Dr. Mrs. Gopal were two doctors from Pune who were present. These doctors were arrested and all their experiments on patients shut. The doctors had to file a petition with the Supreme Court. Then they were “allowed” to give injections. By then however, many thousand had died. Irony.
The Company was declared absconding within days and all the Company did for Indians is left behind 10,000 tonnes of toxic waste. This waste, after 26years is still where it was then. Not an inch has been cleared. After rains, this toxic waste has seeped into ground water over the years. This water is being consumed since then by all people of Bhopal.
This has infected the mother’s milk and the third generation is born with defects. The tragedy haunts us till date. Tests done in 1989 proved that the Ground water was indeed polluted. After 21 years, nothing has been done. Nothing.
2 marches have taken place from Bhopal to Delhi requesting the Government to provide pipe-water. The march is a distance of 800 kms. The PM refused to meet the people. The people in turn went on a hunger strike. There was still complete ignorance from the PM and our Government. When the hunger strike went further where the people even gave up water did the PM say they would get the pipe water. There has been written assurance. But, they did not. Then there was a second march. Here the people were beaten and put behind bars. Still, today, there is no pipe water.
The Government elected a committee of senior ministers to look into the mater. They said they would clear the toxic matter and provide extra compensation (1). This compensation will be paid by us citizens, not the Company. The compensation was given to some but the toxic waste remains. Some NGO’s and locals took the matter into their hands and started clearing the waste. A number of foreigners helped in this and there have been video recordings where the local police dragged women and literally threw men aside when this was happening.
About 1 lakh people have been crippled forever. No one went on records as entire families were wiped out. Nobody knows how many deaths took place. But yes, we do know that 8,000 corpses were sold in the first 3 days. This is from where we get our estimated figure.
Today we have a hospital taking care of these people. And guess what? It’s not a Government hospital. It is a hospital run completely on funds from people like us.
In the US, it took them 20 Billion dollars and 37 years to clean a 3 mile island of toxic waste. After this, there hasn’t been any nuclear power plant in the country. But today we are planning on passing a bill called as the “Nuclear Liability Bill” where in US can open up plants in India and in case of accident we clear them of all liabilities. They will not be liable to the infrastructure brought by them. It doesn’t stop here. The maximum compensation here is settled at 460 million dollars even less than that of Bhopal. Why?
UC is now a subsidiary of Dow. The Indian Government had almost given permission to this company to set up a plant in Pune. Why? (2)
Warren Anderson who personified all this evil is declared absconding. A NGO from US found him in US living a life of luxury. Our Government has declared a Company absconding which is doing business all over the world. Why?
Robert Kennedy, Former CEO of UC said, “There is no relation between what happened in India and Warren. Whatever happened to Warren was not because what happened in India, it was because who he was.”
Today the Government has not been successful of hiding the facts because of lawyers like Upendra Baxi who has been a legal advisor to the victims since then and has fought their cases free of cost. Senior judges were a part of this struggle too.
(1) The Government then claimed that the Company owes them a complete 3.3 Billion dollars as compensation. Later, however the Government accepted only 470 million dollars as the compensation, which is 2,500 per Indian approx. “This is enough for an Indian” is what was said by the Company. People affected in the US were paid more than double of this amount. The Government closed the agreement and dissolved the Company of all civic and economic liabilities. No rehabilitation was given.
(2) The Dow Chemical Company is an American Multinational Corporation and the second largest producer of chemicals in the world. It is setting up a Research and Development Centre at Shinde Vasuli village, near Chakan in Pune district, 30kms away from Pune city. Dow is setting up this research centre on 100 acres of gairan (grazing land) of the village. It claims that this has been given to it by the MDC. However, the village panchayat was never consulted about this land transfer. In the Government revenue records, as of 10th January 2008, it’s ownership was still with the village panchayat!
The new research centre is part of Dow’s global strategy to shift its hazardous R&D activities to third world countries like India, where there are hardly any laws to protect the environment. The few environmental protection laws that are in place are hardly ever implemented. According to a news item in The Economic Times on 1st November 2007, Dow decided to open this centre near Pune following opposition it had to face in the USA and Europe where the regulations on toxic chemicals are very strict.
