[act-ma] Thu 6/24 Harvard Sq: Vigil against unfair verdict in Bhopal Chemical disaster case.

[umang kumar]

BOSTON ACTIVISTS PROTEST THE UNFAIR VERDICT IN BHOPAL DISASTER CASE


The Boston Coalition for Justice in Bhopal* *is a community group that works
for justice and a life of dignity for the survivors of the Bhopal Chemical
Disaster in Bhopal, India. The campaign is calling for 'No More Bhopals',
more effective regulation of the chemical industry, and greater rights for
marginalized communities to protect them from chemical harm and corporate
crimes.



*Who:* Boston Coalition for Justice in Bhopal, Association for India’s
Development (AID)-Boston, MIT Students for Bhopal, MIT Amnesty
International, Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia.


*What:* A protest against the verdict on the Bhopal Industrial Disaster of
1984 made on June 7, 2010. The Boston Coalition for Justice in Bhopal and it
allies are going to peacefully yet firmly protest against this court
decision and rally public support for the survivors of Bhopal tragedy.


*When:* June 24th, 7pm


*Where:* The Pit in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA (behind the Harvard Square
T station)


*Why: *A guilty verdict was handed down on June 7, 2010 against Union
Carbide India Limited (current owner: Dow Chemicals) and 7 individuals
accused in the Bhopal Disaster criminal case. The verdict has been met with
outrage by Bhopal Survivors and their supporters worldwide. The accused were
given a very light sentence of 2 years of jail and $2000 in fines for which
they have already posted bail. At the heart of the denial of justice is the
fact that Union Carbide Corporation and its former CEO Warren Anderson, the
principal accused in the case, have thus far escaped trial. UCC and Anderson
have been charged with culpable homicide, but have ignored summons to appear
in court. In 1992 the the Indian judiciary had declared them as absconders from
justice. Due to the failure of the Indian Government to press charges,
activists around world are protesting to demand justice for the survivors of
the Bhopal Disaster. Similar actions are taking place in Washington, New
York, Chicago and Seattle.



*What happened in Bhopal:* In December 1984, the city of Bhopal in Madhya
Pradesh, India suffered the world’s worst industrial disaster. A chemical
plant belonging to Union Carbide (now a subsidiary of Dow Chemical) released
40 tons of methyl isocyanate, a highly toxic chemical, immediately killing
4,000 people and affecting over 500,000 residents of the area. Till now,
over 23,000 people have died as a result of the disaster, and thousands of
Bhopalis are suffering from illnesses caused by exposure and water
contamination due to the toxic waste left behind. On average, one person
dies every other day from its effects. Meanwhile, Indian authorities have
failed to bring Union Carbide to account.
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