Bhopal: Gas victims welcome hearing of curative petition in Supreme Court

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Gas victims have welcomed the move wherein hearings will restart on curative petition pending before the Supreme Court for a long time.

The gas victim, however, expressed apprehension that Bhopal survivors would be denied just compensation because the government was downplaying the number of deaths and extent of injuries caused by erstwhile Union Carbide Company. They were talking to the media here on Saturday.

“We too are petitioners along with the state and central governments in this matter,” said Rashida Bee, president of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh). “We are asking for 646 billion dollars as additional compensation while the governments are asking for 96 billion from Dow Chemicals.”

Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information & Action said, “The government is presenting a far lower figure of deaths than actual and downplaying the extent of health injuries by claiming that 93 % of those exposed were only temporarily injured. Scientific reports and official records show that the correct death figure is 23,000 and the overwhelming majority of victims suffered permanent injuries as a result of exposure to methyl isocyanate gas.”

Nousheen Khan of Children Against Dow Carbide appealed to the next generation of survivors to assert their rights to get adequate compensation for health damages caused to them due to toxic exposure of their parents. “While several scientific publications have reported growth retardation, birth defects and immune disorders among children of gas-exposed parents, a curative petition filed by the government is silent on this matter. Only collective action can break this silence.”