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BHOPAL: 23 years of inaction. Time to Act Mr Prime Minister! JUNE 17 2008 : NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AND SOLIDARITY FOR BHOPAL Dear Friends, The survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster and activists have been on a dharna at Jantar Mantar for over 75 days. So far there has been no concrete response from the Prime Minister on their demands. On June 9 in response to a peaceful sit-in at South Block they were arrested and children were abused by the Delhi police. In protest, 5 days ago, nine activists started an indefinite hunger strike. Even till today 23 of the Bhopalis are in Tihar Jail and our attempts to secure bail for them has been met with stiff resistance from the State. This shameful state of affairs must stop. It is crucial that groups across the country unite in support to up the ante on the Manmohan Singh Government. In consultation with the Bhopal Groups it has been decided to observe a National Day of Action and Solidarity for Bhopal on 17th June 2008 across the country. We hope you will endorse this call (pasted below), organise events in your cities, towns, regions and stand in solidarity with Bhopalis. Also collect as many signatures as possible on the statement to PM (pasted below) so that it can be delivered collectively to PMO after 17th. We have heard from friends and comrades in Delhi, Bombay, Chennai, Coimbatore, Raipur and some other places who will hold some kind of action there. Let us all join hands now… In Solidarity Supporters of Bhopal ***************************** Tuesday, June 17 2008 NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AND SOLIDARITY FOR BHOPAL UNITE FOR JUSTICE! NO MORE BHOPALS! PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH WAKE UP! HOLD DOW AND UNION CARBIDE ACCOUNTABLE! 23 YEARS IS ENOUGH! WE NEED JUSTICE NOW For the past 23 years the Bhopalis have had a set of basic and simple demands; those that should have been met decades ago by any Government that claimed to work for its people. With no response forthcoming women, children and men from Bhopal again walked 800 kms to Delhi to remind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of his promises made in 2006. PM Singh through his minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan has met the 2 month long dharna with vague and empty promises and the Delhi police has responded to their non-violent protests with beatings and jailing. Several activists are now on an indefinite fast and are being joined by a growing number of people across the country, including several from the USA and UK. It's time for people across the country to stand up and demand that the Prime Minister respond to their demands which include: · Setting up of an Empowered Commission on Bhopal and committing the funds required to allow the Commission to function for 30 years for medical, economic, social and environmental rehabilitation.· Immediate legal action against Dow Chemical and Union Carbide JOIN US! On June 17, people across the country will show their solidarity with the Bhopal Struggle by holding various actions in cities, towns, taluks and villages. You can Ø Hold a protest demonstration/ die-ins/ human chains, candle light vigils, and raise slogans in support of the struggle and against Dow Chemicals Ø Submit a memorandum to the local or state government protesting against the inaction of the Government of India Ø Send a solidarity message to the Bhopalis ( need email here) Ø Sign the open statement to the Prime Minister and send it to us (madhuresh@cacim.net) so that it can be collectively handed over to PM Ø Organise an evening of cultural performances celebrating 23 brave years of struggle by the Bhopalis Ø Raise financial support for the protestors. Please visit www.bhopal.net for more details on the ongoing struggle in Jantar Mantar, Delhi or call Shalini at 9891442037. To donate to the Bhopal struggle send your donation by draft/ cheque favouring 'The Other Media', with Bhopal Solidarity written on the envelope (The Other Media, B-5/136, Safdarjang Enclave, New Delhi 29). Contact Bipin at 9868280191 for more details. In solidarity, Aasha Parivar, AID India, AISA, Amnesty International, Delhi Solidarity Group, Fishermen Coordination of Tamil Nadu & Pondycherry, INSAF, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, JNUSU, NAPM Delhi, Nadi Ghati Morcha, NCDHR, NFFPFW, PSU, PUCL Rajasthan, People's Union for civil Liberties - Tamil Nadu, Stree Adhikar Sangathan, Students for Bhopal, Tamil Nadu Womens' Collective, Yuva Samvad, CACIM, Corporate Accountability Desk Collective, TN, Delhi Forum, Focus on the Global South, Intercultural Resources, Jagori, The Other Media, Swechcha, Tamil Nadu Environment Council-Dindigul, Human Rights Initiative- Tamil Nadu, Cuddalore District Consumer Protection Organisation, Kanchi Makkal Mandram, Corporate Accountability Desk, Chennai, Speak Out, Salem And many other alliances, federations, movements and organisations Regards, For Delhi Solidarity Group Contact: Madhuresh (09818905316) madhuresh@cacim.net Vijayan (9868165471) vijayanmj@gmail.com Joe (9868114470) joe@athyal.org Anupriya (9313848225) Benny (9873921191) bennyk@focusweb.org Aanchal (9810191719) Statement to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh BHOPAL INJUSTICE A BLOT ON INDIAN DEMOCRACY We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, express our dismay and indignation at the indifference of the Prime Minister's office towards the rightful demands of the Bhopal gas survivors. Rather than meet their demands promptly, the Government has ignored their march from Bhopal to Delhi, met their 2 month-long dharna with empty promises, and dealt their non-violent protests with beatings and jailing. Your silence has now prompted them to launch an indefinite fast, where they are being joined by a growing number of people, including several from the USA, UK and India, who have volunteered to fast indefinitely along with them. For the past 23 years they have had a set of basic and simple demands; those that should have been met decades ago by any Government that claimed to work for its people. However, on February 20, 2008, women, children and men from Bhopal, had to undertake a grueling march of 800 kms to reach Delhi to press their demands. We are concerned for the health of the people who have begun an indefinite fast. In particular, we are concerned about the well-being of those among the hunger strikers who have already been affected by Union Carbide's poisons. We also are dismayed with the treatment meted out by the police on the protesters who resorted to a peaceful protest in South Block on June 9. 14 Bhopali children, along with 22 adults, were arrested and later beaten up in police custody. To add insult to injury, the Prime Minister's Office and the Police have denied this, hinting that the Bhopalis are liars.. The PMO cannot reach any such conclusion without conducting an enquiry, and without speaking to the children who allege this abuse. We urge you to initiate an enquiry and take legal action against the policepersons, many of whose names are known. The PMO has also conveyed that the Bhopalis would need to understand that the law will take its course if they break it – for instance, by breaching a high-security area around your house or office. How is it that the law takes its course for the Bhopalis, but not for Union Carbide or Dow? How is it that the law does not take its course in delivering water to the Bhopalis for years after the Supreme Court orders that this should be done? Sir, the statement read by your emissary Mr. Prithviraj Chavan gave us a little hope, and we thank you for that first step. But we are disappointed by the tentative manner in which the Government is approaching the setting up of the Commission, claiming that the matter requires the complete assent of the State Government. The Government forgets that by declaring itself parens patriae, it assumed the role of a parent to the Bhopalis during the civil litigation for damages from Union Carbide. While we welcome the initiative taken by the Prime Minister towards meeting their demands, we request him to take adequate measures to make his promises genuine. The signatories to this statement reiterate the demands of the Bhopalis:· Set up an Empowered Commission on Bhopal by endorsing the bill proposed by survivors organisations and committing to introducing it in the Parliament in the monsoon session. This includes committing the funds required to allow the Commission to function for 30 years for medical, economic, social and environmental rehabilitation.· The Government should immediately initiate legal action against Dow Chemical and Union Carbide. Endorsed by: 1) ... 2) ... 3) ... June 14 2008 |
