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A Letter from Eurig Scandrett from Bhopal on the 25th Anniversary of the Bhopal Disaster!
A Letter from Eurig Scandrett from Bhopal on the 25th Anniversary of the Bhopal Disaster!
2nd December 2009
Greetings to all Bhopal supporters. I am currently in Bhopal in the midst of activities marking the 25th anniversary of the gas disaster. In know many of you are remembering the survivors this anniversary so I thought I would let you know what is going on here.
Yesterday, 1st December, was a media circus. The day started with a press conference with Dominique Lapierre, author of It Was Five Past Midnight in Bhopal , the book whose royalties were used to set up the Sambhavna clinic run by Sathyu Sarangi for survivors.
Straight after this a press conference accompanied the public release of the results of analysis of soil and water samples carried out by the prestigious NGO Centre for Science and Environment. Results show the persistence of contamination which can only have come from the Union Carbide factory, so contradicting claims of the state government that the factory site is no longer contaminated. The organochlorines found in the water are known to cause chronic illnesses including cancers and congenital defects. Although small samples have identified such contamination in the past, these results are the most significant and conclusive rebuttal of the government's denial, and a further argument for putting pressure on Dow Chemicals who are still refusing any liability for the toxic legacy of the company which they acquired.
Yesterday evening was the annual award of the Chingari Trust. The Trust was established with the money awarded to Rasheeda Bee and Champa Devi Shukla from the Goldman prize for environmental campaigning in 2004. The funds are used to support the children of gas affected women who were born with severe abnormalities and, once a year, awards are given to Indian women fighting against corporate crime. As this is the 25th year, awards were given to 25 women from all over India in battles against big dams to mineral mines to Coca Cola.
The day ended with a televised debate between the state Minister for Gas Relief Babulal Gaur, Sanita Narian of Centre for Science and Environment and Sathyu Sarangi, representing Bhopal Group for Information and Action. The audience was made up of vocal and angry gas survivors and suffice to say the Minister didn't look too clever after the pesticide contamination results.
Today, people have started arriving from across India for a conference of communities affected by corporate crimes and chemical contamination at the Sambhavna Trust. Meanwhile the sick survivors are also arriving for the day to day treatment by allopathic and ayurvedic medicines, panchakarma massage and yoga.
An open air seminar will also take place later in the day, organised by Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, the Women Workers' Union (now a union-led campaign group involving men as well as women). This evening will be Sambhavna's annual candle-lit vigil in the commercial centre of the city followed by International Campaign torch-lit rally to the gates of the Union Carbide factory.
The gas leak started some time after midnight in the early hours of 3rd December. To mark the anniversary day itself there will be at least two marches, one organised by the International Campaign and one by the Women Workers' Union, ending with the burning of effigies representing Union Carbide, Dow Chemicals and the Indian and state governments who are in bed with the corporations. After this a newly painted mural will be unveiled opposite the gates of the factory.
On Saturday we are planning to launch our book, Bhopal Survivors Speak: Emergent Voices from a People's Movement .
I am regularly told by survivors that they value the international solidarity shown to their campaigns. Thank you for remembering Bhopal this anniversary. The struggle continues.
Eurig Scandrett
Bhopal
India
2nd December 2009
Yesterday, 1st December, was a media circus. The day started with a press conference with Dominique Lapierre, author of It Was Five Past Midnight in Bhopal , the book whose royalties were used to set up the Sambhavna clinic run by Sathyu Sarangi for survivors.
Straight after this a press conference accompanied the public release of the results of analysis of soil and water samples carried out by the prestigious NGO Centre for Science and Environment. Results show the persistence of contamination which can only have come from the Union Carbide factory, so contradicting claims of the state government that the factory site is no longer contaminated. The organochlorines found in the water are known to cause chronic illnesses including cancers and congenital defects. Although small samples have identified such contamination in the past, these results are the most significant and conclusive rebuttal of the government's denial, and a further argument for putting pressure on Dow Chemicals who are still refusing any liability for the toxic legacy of the company which they acquired.
Yesterday evening was the annual award of the Chingari Trust. The Trust was established with the money awarded to Rasheeda Bee and Champa Devi Shukla from the Goldman prize for environmental campaigning in 2004. The funds are used to support the children of gas affected women who were born with severe abnormalities and, once a year, awards are given to Indian women fighting against corporate crime. As this is the 25th year, awards were given to 25 women from all over India in battles against big dams to mineral mines to Coca Cola.
The day ended with a televised debate between the state Minister for Gas Relief Babulal Gaur, Sanita Narian of Centre for Science and Environment and Sathyu Sarangi, representing Bhopal Group for Information and Action. The audience was made up of vocal and angry gas survivors and suffice to say the Minister didn't look too clever after the pesticide contamination results.
Today, people have started arriving from across India for a conference of communities affected by corporate crimes and chemical contamination at the Sambhavna Trust. Meanwhile the sick survivors are also arriving for the day to day treatment by allopathic and ayurvedic medicines, panchakarma massage and yoga.
An open air seminar will also take place later in the day, organised by Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, the Women Workers' Union (now a union-led campaign group involving men as well as women). This evening will be Sambhavna's annual candle-lit vigil in the commercial centre of the city followed by International Campaign torch-lit rally to the gates of the Union Carbide factory.
The gas leak started some time after midnight in the early hours of 3rd December. To mark the anniversary day itself there will be at least two marches, one organised by the International Campaign and one by the Women Workers' Union, ending with the burning of effigies representing Union Carbide, Dow Chemicals and the Indian and state governments who are in bed with the corporations. After this a newly painted mural will be unveiled opposite the gates of the factory.
On Saturday we are planning to launch our book, Bhopal Survivors Speak: Emergent Voices from a People's Movement .
I am regularly told by survivors that they value the international solidarity shown to their campaigns. Thank you for remembering Bhopal this anniversary. The struggle continues.
Eurig Scandrett
Bhopal
India
2nd December 2009
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