Join the Fight for Victims of Bhopal. 18 years later and 30 die each month as a result of this catastrophe
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Bioneers' own Diane Wilson, the impassioned activist who's
won zero-discharge agreements from Formosa Plastics and
Alcoa Aluminum, is on day 21 of a hunger strike against Dow
Chemical Corporation, and needs your support to get their attention.
http://www.bioneers.org/features/wilsonalert.html. You can read more
about Diane and Bhopal.
An Invitation from Diane Wilson to Join Her Fight
for the Victims of Bhopal
Seadrift, Texas
5 August 2002
At midnight on December 2, 1984, deadly toxins leaked from a badly
run Union Carbide (now wholly owned by Dow Chemicals) plant in
Bhopal, engulfing half a million of India's poor in the world's
worst-ever industrial disaster. In hours, a historic city became a
gas chamber. As dawn broke, some 8,000 dead were strewn across the
city's streets in postures of agony.
That was 18 years ago. You'd think that by now the survivors would
have received proper medical care, that they'd have been adequately
compensated for their loss and their suffering, that somebody would
have had to answer in court for what was done to them.
On all counts, you'd be wrong.
Dow-Carbide, one of the world's largest corporations, forced a
'settlement' with the Indian government that gave the survivors a
'compensation' of a maximum of $500 each - many received less - not
even enough to cover the cost of simple medicines.
Thirty people still die every month from the effects of the gas.
Meanwhile the drinking water of the very same communities that were
hit in 1984 is being poisoned by cancer- and birth -defect causing
chemicals that lie in the open in the derelict factory, or were
dumped on waste ground by the company for up to 10 years after the
accident.
On July 17, the Indian government applied to reduce charges against
Warren Anderson, the Union Carbide CEO at the time of the disaster -
the same man who has been refusing to answer the court's summons for
11 years. The court's judgment will be given on August 27. If the
charges are diluted it will reduce the deaths of 20,000 people and
the 18 years' suffering of the survivors to the status of a car
accident and virtually end hopes of ever getting just compensation
for the victims. The victims began a hunger strike in India, which I
joined on July 17th to force Dow Chemicals to accept its liabilities
for the Bhopal disaster. Hundreds around the world have joined me.
Here are things you can do to join us:
- Join me outside Dow Chemicals, Seadrift, Texas, on August 15 at 1
pm to demand Dow clean up its mess in Bhopal and Seadrift. Bring
your own broom. Contact
kinnu@subvertisement.org for details and all press inquires.
- On the morning of August 14 hold a vigil and protest outside your
nearest Indian embassy or consulate.
- Call Dow headquarters in Michigan at 800/232-2436 demanding that
Dow accept its liabilities and clean up its mess in Bhopal.
- Demonstrate outside your nearest Dow facility.
- Join me in the worldwide hunger strike; details at
http://www.bhopal.net/worldwide-action.
- Sign the electronic petition addressed to the Indian government at
http://www.corpwatchindia.org.
or raise your own and send to your nearest Indian embassy, listed at
http://www.thokalath.com/embassy/index.php.
- Alert your local media and pass this message on to your friends.
- Contribute to fund the worldwide relay hunger strikes and ongoing action. In India contact
admin@del3.vsnl.net.in for details of how to do this. In the U.S. contact Jodie a
thebadbabes@aol.com.
- Let us know what you are doing, and if you are interested in
joining any of the international actions contact
thebadbabes@aol.com.
For more information, flyers, banners, and answers to your questions
go to http://www.bhopal.net.
Tara, Sathyu, and Rashida began the hunger strike on June 28th in
Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
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