On December 3, 1984 Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked out of Union Carbide’s pesticide plant located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. I must confess, I wasn’t mature enough to understand the extent of damage at that time but ever since then I have studied and followed the tragic happenings of that incident and to be sincere the way in which the issue has been handled by the government of India and the judiciary hurts me.
In this blog, I will talk about 3 tragedies all of which emerged out of the Bhopal gas disaster. Two of these tragedies have already occurred and the third is unfolding as I write.
- The Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Imagine sleeping one night only to wake-up after mid night feeling suffocated, having a burning sensation in your eyes not knowing why your are suffering and what you should do? Within a few hours you are dead! This is what the residents of Bhopal faced. In the early hours on 3rd December 1984, MIC gas leaked out of the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal. Around 800,000 people were exposed to the gas. According to government estimates, 15,000 people died. Others passed on the harmful effects of the gas, genetically. Effects on animals and the surrounding ecosystem are insurmountable. The cause of deaths included suffocation (respiratory failure), failure in blood circulation and many more, it definitely was a very painful death.
- The Aftermath another Tragedy: Everything that happened with the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy after 3rd December 1984 up until 7th June 2010 when court gave a shameful verdict, that’s more than 25 years, is nothing less than a tragedy. The time between 1984 to 1992 weren’t exactly the best times for India the economy was in doldrums and the government had no idea on how to manage the country, as a matter of fact, on 31st October 1984, the then Prime Minister Indra Gandhi was assassinated and this led to her son Rajiv Gandhi taking over the Prime Ministership of the country. Apparently Rajiv Gandhi either compromised or colluded with the US based company, and let their chairman Warren Anderson, who was arrested by authorities in India, to leave the country. When the Prime Minister does this kind of thing it is a shame, isn’t it? No reason, including outrage in public sentiments or poor law and order situation as stated by current Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is an excuse, for once I believe these rubbish ministers should be taken to court
Moving forward, the Indian government claimed $3.3 billion from Union Carbide only to later settle to a meagre amount of $470 million in an out-of-court deal. The drastic change in claim and eventual settlement adds to confusion. Once the settlement was made the distribution of funds to the victims was not well organised further increasing the effects of the tragedy. No empathy for the victims and unbelievably it took more than 25 years for a lower court to pass judgement on the guilty. Isn’t this tragic? - The Verdict and Ongoing Damage Control a Tragedy in the making: After more than 25 years a local court held all eight accused guilty in the Bhopal Gas Leak case. The guilty were all sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of INR 100,000 (or $2,100), punishments denounced by victims and human rights' groups as too lenient. To add to the misery all eight convicts were granted bail within a few hours. I completely agree with the victims and human rights groups, but, then the law is the law. What I cannot accept is that a court took 25 years to get this verdict.
I believe the delay was mainly because the Central Bureau of Investigation, the agency responsible for the investigation of the gas leak, is a puppet that works on the wimps and fancies of ministers in the central government. What has come to light in the past few days is that Rajiv Gandhi and Arjun Singh panicked or at their corrupt best sold out themselves to let Warren Anderson leave the country within a few hours of being arrested. This will definitely explain why it took 25 years for a verdict, saving the name and reputation of the Gandhi family is central to the Indian National Congress and if we think of the Bofors Scam or Sikh Massacre it is clear that the government machinery will bend and bow to save any member of the Gandhi family.
So as victims, their families, concerned citizens and human rights groups are enraged and ask questions as to why victims are being treated this way in their own country stupid and shameless politicians defend their and Rajiv Gandhi’s decisions without any concern for what matters the most, the well being and morale of the victims. This is the third tragedy, the most painful of the three, its unfolding before our eyes right now and unfortunately is doesn’t seem to stop.
That's it, a sad and frustrating story of the worst industrial disaster the world has see. Many questions and even more emotions, but no answers and no closure to the victims.
