Bhopalis celebrate their victory by breaking their fast with tall glasses of orange juice.
They celebrated a major victory and called off their international hunger strike as the Government acceded to four of six long-standing demands of the Bhopal campaign. The Prime Minister assured a 10-member delegation consisting of Union Carbide's victims and supporters who met him today for 30 minutes that the demands relating to clean water, clean-up of toxic wastes, and the setting up of a national commission for medical and economic rehabilitation will be met.
For over two weeks now, the two longest post independence struggles, Bhopal and the Narmada Bachao Andolan, have been camping on two sides of the road demanding that the Government act in favour of humanity and not industry. They have lent each other support and have come to represent the power of peoples' struggle for justice. Even as the Bhopali camp on one side of the road celebrated with sloganeering, hugs and songs, the Narmada camp was still coming to terms with the awful Supreme Court judgment to continue construction of the dam even if resettlement of affected communities wasn't as yet complete. The Bhopalis ended their protest today on a note of solidarity with the Narmada struggle.
Prime Minister admits to being powerless against Criminal Corporations
The Prime Minister, while being positive on some fronts, said he was powerless to take any extra-legal measures to hold Union Carbide or its owner Dow Chemical accountable for their crimes against the environment and people in Bhopal. "I don't promise to prosecute. We have to do business. India has to survive despite these tragedies," Dr. Manmohan Singh said in response to a demand by survivors that Union Carbide and Dow Chemical should be held liable for the continuing disaster in Bhopal. However, he did concede that he would explore whatever options existed within the law to hold the company accountable.
"We are ashamed and outraged that the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy has openly admitted to his inability to pressure an American multinational. At a time when India is set to more than double its industrial capacity, the Prime Minister's reluctance to take extra-legal measures to pressure multinational corporations is deplorable and should set the alarm bells ringing, said Satinath Sarangi, one of the six hunger strikers and 39 people who walked from Bhopal to New Delhi. "It doesn't make any sense to direct our protests on the matter of corporate accountability towards a man who has expressed his powerlessness on this matter."
The Bhopal campaigners have, therefore, resolved to take direct and legal action against Dow and Union Carbide's businesses nationally and internationally over the coming months. "Dow should beware now because all our energies will be focused on putting the brakes on Dow's business in India", said Champa Devi Shukla, Goldman award winner and one of the indefinite hunger strikers.
International support for the campaign has brought tremendous pressure to bear on the Government. The Prime Minister's office has received nearly 3000 faxes and more than 350 people have signed up to fast for a day or longer in solidarity with the Bhopal campaign.
Thirty-nine victims of Union Carbide's poisons, and eight survivors covered 800 km in 33 days to arrive in New Delhi on 25 March, 2006. Since 29 March, 2006, Bhopal survivors and supporters had been on indefinite strike near the Parliament House in New Delhi.
The Bhopalis have reached a milestone in their long and arduous road to justice. It their tenacity and their deep commitment to procure justice that have seen them through so far. Dow-Carbide would be foolish to underestimate their strength and resolve.
The march to Delhi and the ensuing hunger strike is being led by four Bhopal based survivor and advocacy organisations: Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information and Action, Bhopal ki Awaaz.
Photographs courtesy www.bhopal.net
For more details visit: www.bhopal.net