Press Releases

December 6, 2011
Press Statement
 
BHOPAL, INDIA - Condemning the violence triggered by precipitate police action on a peaceful rail roko staged by Bhopal victims on 3 December, five survivors organisations today said they will organise a detailed enquiry presided over by a retired judge of the High Court or Supreme Court. The enquiry is expected to help survivors in their attempts to gather evidence and initiate formal proceedings against those responsible for the violence, including the police. The survivors groups apologised to the media persons who were hurt, and said they will work towards ensuring that those responsible for the violence against media persons are identified and punished.
 
Calling the State Government's actions vindictive, the organisations laid the blame squarely on the police for the violence that ensued on 3 December. "The first act of the police was to snatch away our PA system through which we could have stopped protestors from responding to police brutalities through violence," said Rashida Bee, President, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh. Rashida said that she is an eye witness to the police instigating violence and creating a situation for criminal elements to join in.
 
Rashida introduced several women among the over 50 gas victims who were beaten with sticks and left bleeding while protesting peacefully. Even after peace was restored and the agitation called off, a large gang of policemen entered individual homes and shops in Umrao Dulha Baug area and beat up people, damaged furniture, doors, windows and vehicles.
 
The organisations appealed to all citizens who had recorded the violence on 3rd on their cameras and mobiles to send them the evidence for successful prosecution of police officials.
 

Press Statement
May 25, 2011

Leaders of five organizations of the survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal today condemned the recommendations of the government appointed Peer Review Committee (PRC) on remediation of toxic contamination in and around the abandoned Union Carbide factory.

In a letter submitted to the Chairman of the Oversight Committee on Bhopal Environmental Rehabilitation, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, the organizations charged that the recommendations of the Peer Review Committee were unscientific, unilaterally decided and were designed to help Dow Chemical get away from its Bhopal liabilities by paying a pittance for environmental remediation.

Goldman Environmental prize winner Rashida Bee of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Stationery Karmchari Sangh who took part in the meeting organized by the Oversight Committee today, said that two of the members of the PRC have direct links with Dow Chemical Company, U.S.A. that, as 100 % owner of Union Carbide, U.S.A. is legally liable for the toxic contamination in and around the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal.

Press Statement
May 11, 2011

“Today will go down as another black day for justice,” Bhopal survivors’ organisations said in reaction to the Supreme Court's order rejecting the curative petition filed by the CBI. “Further to the dismissal of the revision petition filed by three Bhopal organisations against Justice Ahmadi's controversial 1996 order, the Supreme Court today has heaped yet more injustice on the Bhopal victims,” five organisations said.

In 1997, the Supreme Court dismissed a review petition filed by three survivor organisations without conducting even one hearing. The petition was against Justices Ahmadi’s order that quashed the charge of culpable homicide against the Indian officials of Union Carbide and instituted a charge of death caused by negligence.

Today's Supreme Court order is problematic on many counts. First, by saying that the 1996 Supreme Court order was not binding on the trial court, it expects a lower court to act against a specific order of the Supreme Court. This presumption is entirely contrary to the universal practice of the courts. FIRs quashed by the Supreme Court are never reborn by magisterial acts. More importantly, the Supreme Court has ignored the gross miscarriage of justice suffered by the victims through the practical effect of the 1996 judgment.