|
|
Rally at San Francisco
Press Release: Solidarity movement at the San Francisco Bay sends
Independence day greetings to Bhopal
14 August, 2002, San Francisco:
Seeking justice for the survivors of the Bhopal Gas Disaster, a group of thirty-five Indians, activists and concerned citizens gathered for a rally outside the Chancery Bldg at 9:00 AM on Wednesday. The building on Arguello street houses the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The rally was held in a show of solidarity and to hold the Indian government and DOW Chemicals accountable for the un-addressed grievances of Bhopal survivors.
Introducing the purpose of the rally to the gathering, Saratoga based Srividhya Venkataraman said, “We are here on the eve of the 56th Independence day to urge the Indian government to free the people of Bhopal from the clutches of corporate greed, toxic terror and injustice.”
On the midnight of December 2nd-3rd 1984, Bhopal was the site of the worst industrial disaster in history. Several tons of a poisonous mixes of gases leaked from the methyl-isocyanite (MIC) storage tanks from Union Carbide’s factory site in Bhopal leaving over 3000 persons dead in the immediate aftermath. Over 500,000 people were injured including several tens of thousands with severe disability and respiratory problems. To date over 20,000 people have died from the direct effect of the leaked gases and tens of thousands of persons suffer from continuing health problems. Survivors’ rights groups have claimed that cost-cutting and poor safety systems at the plant led to the disaster. In all these years past, Union Carbide did not release composition of the leaked gases, information about their toxicity, long-term effects of exposure or antidotes for treatment. A $470 million dollar settlement between the Government of India and Union Carbide (now merged with DOW) was reached in 1989 but criminal charges against Carbide as well as company officials including against then chairman, Warren Anderson, are still pending in Bhopal courts. Union Carbide and Anderson have evaded appearing in Indian courts and are proclaimed absconders (fugitives from justice).
The Central Bureau of Investigation, the Indian equivalent of the FBI, and the Government of India, which has dragged its feet in applying for extradition of the fugitive Anderson, have just over two months ago applied to reduce charges against Anderson. The Indian courts are likely to rule on this application on August 27th. Said, Venkataraman, “If the charges are diluted [against Anderson] it will reduce the deaths of 20,000 people and the 18 years of suffering for the survivors to the status of a car accident and virtually end hopes of ever getting just compensation for the victims.”
The demands of the rally organizers are:
- The Government of India must withdraw its application for dilution of charges and take immediate steps to extradite Warren Anderson.
- The Government of India act rapidly to hold Dow Chemicals, Carbide’s new owner, responsible for the pending medical and environmental rehabilitation liabilities in Bhopal.
- Dow Chemicals take full responsibility for Union Carbide's liabilities in Bhopal including cleanup of the toxic waste dumped at the abandoned factory site.
The rally itself was a creative, informative and multi-dimensional event. Several participants were carrying placards. Fremont based N. Jayashree wore one reading “Happy Independence Day. Freedom from Injustice. Freedom from Toxic Terror, Freedom from Corporate Greed,” while Sunnyvale resident Kaustubh Desai held up a banner with the survivors’ poem “Torture Me”. Another demonstrator Jaya was wearing a death mask and eye-catching headgear. The program was interspersed with chants led by Prashant Jawalikar, one of the events organizers, and narratives based on stories of Bhopal survivors. Rally participants role-played various survivors and other characters of the Bhopal saga, narrating loss of livelihood, partial blindness, respiratory and gynecological problems and blamed this squarely on DOW-Carbide and Anderson.
Rajesh Veeraraghavan, played the part of Warren Anderson. “I was the chairman of Union Carbide at the time of the tragedy. I left the company in 1986 and retired to Vero Beach Florida. Following the complaints filed against me by the victims organization and the InterPol warrant I ran away.” Beaming at the audience as if with glee Rajesh continued, “I am happy to know the Central Bureau of Investigation is proposing to dilute the charges against me. I appreciate their humanitarian gesture.” In a parody of the Indian government's action Harish led a chant in Hindi “Anderson Salaam, Hindustan Gulam!” (When you bow to Anderson’s wishes, you enslave India).
Various invited speakers at the event emphasized that DOW Chemicals should be held accountable for the suffering of the citizens of Bhopal and the environmental disaster that the abandoned factory site still poses. Jodie Evans, from Bad Babes and Unreasonable Women said, “We won't stop until Dow has cleaned up the mess it is responsible for. The primal scream of this injustice is building. We won't go away we will continue to grow until Dow is acts responsibly towards the dead, the injured and the toxic mess left behind.” Angana Chatterjee, Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies, called “first world lives and greed supported by violence on the third world” unacceptable. She also held the Government of India complicit in the violence and injustice against its citizens, lamenting at what is happening in Gujarat, Narmada valley and Bhopal. The privileged citizenry cannot be mute spectators when this happens and need to strongly and non-violently voice their dissent, Chatterjee felt.
Kristin Rothballer expressed solidarity with another Unreasonable Woman, 52-yr old fisherwoman and shrimpboat captain, Diane Wilson who has been fasting for 29 days outside a DOW plant in Sea Drift, Texas to call attention to the Bhopal issue. Earlier on July 28th, 25 people attended a Friends of Bhopal organized awareness exhibit and screening of the documentary "A Cloud over Bhopal", where a colorful a banner of solidarity was signed to be sent to Wilson.
Mathirajan Manoharan a resident of San Jose who has spent several weeks along with friends standing outside Indian groceries, temples, and at community events collecting signatures presented a petition with 175 signatures to the consular staff through police officers present at the venue. Consul of Political Affairs, Akilesh Mishra, earlier refused to publicly listen to the grievances of the demonstrators and to apprise them of the Indian government’s position, claiming it was not the Indian mission’s policy to publicly listen to demands. At the close of the rally, everyone joined in a solemn singing of the Indian National Anthem, without any consular officials present.
Rally organizer, Rajesh Veeraraghavan questioned the legitimacy of the Consulate’s position saying, “Consular staff and governmental officials want to be very public when they are seeking NRI [Non-Resident Indian] investments and developmental funds. Then why can’t they listen to the genuine grievances of Indians publicly? Yes NRIs want to participate in India’s true and just development. But we will not bankroll the destruction of the lives of the poor!”
The event was organized by an informal local group, Friends of Bhopal, a group of NRI students and professionals, mostly of Indian Origin, who support the struggle of the people of Bhopal against the injustice done to them by DOW Chemicals and Government of India. They have organized several film screenings, discussions and petitions to focus on justice for Bhopal. Friends of Bhopal thanks all those who helped organize and publicize the rally, to all the invited speakers and to the several enthusiastic participants who joined the rally and signed the petition.
Friends of Bhopal
Prashant Jawalikar (pjawalikar@yahoo.com)
Mathirajan Manoharan (mathirajanm@yahoo.com)
August 2002
|