INOC raised the voice, “No More Bhopals !”
“No More Bhopals !” is the slogan of the Madhya Pradesh Chapter of the Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC). INOC is the recently instituted chapter of Indian National Overseas Congress, USA (INOC) – the Madhya Pradesh Chapter has took charge of an important social issue that concerns the people of Bhopal. The Madhya Pradesh Chapter paid homage to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Victims on 3rd of December. The Chapter, believing in the mission of INOC of working for the under privileged and the marginalized in India has taken on the challenge of alleviating the miseries of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Victims. The Chapter President Mr Juned Qazi initiated a meeting with Ms.Aquene Freechild and Mr.Brian J Mooney of Amnesty International who have been actively working for the Gas tragedy victims.
The participants of the meeting included Sonia Sodhi, Vice President and Radhika Iyengar, General Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Chapter. There was a lot of synergy between the members of the Madhya Pradesh INOC Chapter as well as the gas tragedy social activists. Both parties discussed issues concerning health and environment that still, after many generations continue to affect the victims. The group formed a work plan for the coming months. The work plan includes meeting with dignitaries in US and in India to discuss the environmental as well as health concerns of the victims. Since Mr Qazi and Radhika Iyengar are both from Bhopal and resided in Bhopal at the night of the tragedy, they will be presenting a firsthand experience of the night of the disaster. Also Ms.Aquene Freechild and Mr.Brian J Mooney have lived in Bhopal for many years, working with the gas affected victim in their struggle of justice,Mr. Brain share his hard work for Bhopal Gas victims and talk about Jahangir Bhai who is activist for Bhopal Gas victims.
The work plan also includes writing letters to US Congress members and also to President Obama to initiates programs that would help in the upliftment of the social and economic conditions of the gas survivors. Both the Chapter members and Amnesty International members believed that only by providing monetary compensation to the victims will not be enough. The members agreed that skill development projects should be granted to the institutions/ NGOs to make the survivors economically self-sufficient. This will have more long lasting effects than providing temporary cash to the victims. Mr Qazi expressed his intention to meet with various Government of Madhya Pradesh as well as Central Government officials to start such income generating schemes for the gas survivors.
Project includes cleaning up of Bhopal lakes and a safe removal of the harmful chemicals of the factory side. The members are very concerned that the Union Carbide Factory site still has children playing in its vicinity which is fatal to their health. The Chapter plans to work with Bhopal based NGOs to raise public awareness about the social and environmental issues concerning the people of Bhopal. Mr Qazi believes that the Bhopal issue is not restricted to Bhopal, as it has wider implications to the environmental and social consciousness of people at large. The Bhopal INOC Chapter pledged to do all in its power to help the gas affected victims. “No More Bhopals” is the slogan that the Chapter adopts in its plan agenda.
