Wounds of 1984 Bhopal gas leak tragedy, green again

BHOPAL: Bhopal gas leak victims faced police lathi charge while protesting. Due to the lathi charge crowd moved to be violent, gas victims retaliated to the police brutality by burning vehicles and pelting stones at the officials and media persons, on Saturday.

Police begin lathi charge in Barkheri when the protestors carried out a ‘Rail Roko’ agitation.

The gas victims retaliated to the police brutality by burning vehicles and pelting stones at the officials.

So far, fifteen trains have been stopped due to the gas victims protest in Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal Bina passenger train was stopped by the Bhopal gas victims at Nishatpura near Bhopal. Another passenger train near Barkheri was also stopped.

Several thousand of gas victims are out on the railway tracks at various places around Bhopal.

The protestors are demanding correction in death figures and more compensation from Dow Chemicals and Union Carbide.

The Dow Chemicals has told the Supreme Court that it will not pay more compensation for Bhopal victims.

According to the Dow Chemicals, the settlement in 1989 of $ 470 million was more than adequate and fair.

The Bhopal Gas tragedy, the worst industrial disaster of the world was caused by the leakage of deadly methyl iso-cynide gas and it had left 5296 people dead and 573000 injured.

The government of India had last year filed a petition in the supreme court seeking an enhanced compensation of Rs 5786 crore for the victims.

The company, UCC, is now owned by Dow Chemicals, and this is jeopardising Dow’s chances of sponsorship deal of the 2012 Olympic Games. In fact, a group from Bhopal has written to the Olympics committee to keep Dow Chemicals away from the sporting event.