The Bhopal Gas case verdict, which after twenty-five years awards a sentence of just two years to the culprits, is a travesty of justice that shames India and insults the memory of the thousands killed. The verdict is the culmination of a deeply flawed process involving the culpability of Governments, investigative agencies and even the highest court of the land. These institutions compromised the interests of the country and the victims, diluting the charges, enabling the American CEO Warren Anderson to escape, and limiting liability to a paltry compensation of only 470 million dollars. These are acts of connivance to help the powerful US company and its Indian entity.
The culprits are now all out on bail and will use the judicial process further to avoid serving even this inadequate sentence. The Government must immediately appeal against the verdict, press for enhancement of sentences and create a process by which justice can be speedily ensured.
The Bhopal disaster and the utterly flawed legal framework shows how the American suppliers and owners have escaped any criminal liability. In this context the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill which excludes foreign suppliers from any liability may help more Warren Andersons. The Bill limits compensation to even less than the paltry Bhopal settlement. Pushing ahead with the Nuclear Liability Bill means playing with the safety and interests of the Indian people.
It is shocking to note that after 26 years of world’s biggest industrial disaster claiming 25000 lives and leaving millions perpetually sick in and around Union Carbide factory, Bhopal, the verdict has come making mockery of administrative and legal process in the country. From the very beginning, various institutions of the judiciary including the apex court diluted the crime against people of India and Bhopal in particular committed by an American MNC. The Government miserably failed to book all those who were responsible for this mass murder before the court of law in suitable manner. This judgment will encourage other corporate, both Indian and foreign, to ignore all safety norms in otherwise accident prone industrial scenario of the country as they can get away scot-free in the eventuality of disasters like Bhopal Gas Tragedy. stern action should be taken against all those, including erstwhile CMD of Union Carbide as criminals. all the victims should have to be compensated adequately.
the people of India have to face similar accidents if the Government of India continues its strategic flirting with US as evident from the Nuclear Liability Bill brought before the Parliament to serve the interests of U.S Government and American nuclear manufacturers.
US rejects action against Union Carbide for Bhopal gas tragedy
The US has rejected taking any action against the Union Carbide company for the world’s worst industrial disaster . The US has refused to axtradite Warren Anderson to India despite an extradition treaty between Inida and the US. It was very clear that the American MNC has not maintain the same US safty standards in its Bhopal plant. There fore Bhopal gas tragedy is not an industrial accident has described by US. The management of Union Carbide indulged culpable homicide. While 30000 victims of the 9/11 tragedy of US ( terrorist strike on WTC towers) were paid compensation worth billions of dollors, about 25 thousand victims of Bhopal gas tragedy were not even paid a fraction of that amount. This reveals that MNCs have a scant regard for Indian lives.
For more Reading. .
- SUBSIDISING US SUPPLIERS : THE NUCLEAR LIABILITY BILL -PrabirPurkayastha
- THE DANGERS OF NUCLEAR LIABILITY BILL
- BHOPAL 25 YEARS LATER : THE CONTINUING TRAGEDY – Amit Sengupta
- 25th Anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy – Pramod Pradhan
- THE CIVIL NUCLEAR LIABILITY BILL : NOT IN THE INDIAN INTEREST
- CIVIL NUCLEAR LIABILITY BILL PREFERING INTERESTS OF US COMPANIES OVER INDIAN PEOPLE


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