In order to demand justice for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, an MP of Indian descent in the United Kingdom has obtained a discussion in Westminster Hall of Parliament.
In order to demand justice for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, an MP of Indian descent in the United Kingdom has obtained a discussion in Westminster Hall of Parliament.
Early next month, on the 38th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy, an Indian-origin Labour Party MP secured a debate in Westminster Hall of the UK Parliament to demand justice for the victims.
During the Tuesday parliamentary debate, he requested that Britain support the cause of justice in India and that the UK government put pressure on Dow to stand trial in India. The parent corporation of Union Carbide, The Dow Chemical Company, “has for far too long avoided its responsibilities to the victims and survivors,” claimed Mishra.
“Today, we still fight for the rights of the victims and survivors. Also, few of the organizations have demanded restitution, environmental restoration, medical care, research, and support for the victims” he said.
During the Bhopal gas catastrophe on December 1-2, 1984, a leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Madhya Pradesh exposed over 500,000 people to methyl isocyanate. The terrible incident is acknowledged as the world’s biggest industrial calamity recorded in history.
According to Anne-Marie Trevelyan, minister of state in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), “for many of us — the elder ones in the room — the disaster at the Union Carbide facility in Bhopal is etched into our memories as one of the greatest industrial tragedies in history.”
“ It has resulted in up to 3,800 deaths and 500,000 extra cases of serious sickness and early deaths. The government of India and the American company Union Carbide have always had the duty to respond to the unfortunate accident, she said.
The minister acknowledged that the UK did not provide any additional funding or direct assistance to India in response to the tragedy, despite the former Department for International Development (DfID) supporting broader development in Madhya Pradesh that “benefited people, including those affected by the disaster living in Bhopal.”
She promised to bring up the concerns of all the present lawmakers regarding the demand for ongoing assistance and compensation for victims with their Indian counterparts.
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