Obama, Ratan Tata incur wrath of Bhopal victims

“On December 2 and 3, we will not only burn the effigy of then CEO of Union Carbide Waren Anderson but also other people who are saving him from the charges. It includes Barack Obama, Ratan Tata along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram,” Satinath Sarangi of Bhopal Group for Information and Action said.
On the night of December 2 and 3, 1984, 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate gas leaked out from the now defunct Union Carbide plant. At least 3,000 were killed instantly and an estimated 25,000 had lost their lives since then. It also affected one lakh  people that night and estimates are more than five lakh still continue to suffer in myriad ways.

Sarangi explained why Obama deserves the wrath of survivors. “The US government had taken stern action against British Petroleum in the oil spill case in which only 11 people were killed but they never acknowledged the worst industrial disaster caused by an American company... Obama did not utter a single word on the Bhopal gas tragedy,” he said.

Prior to and during Obama’s November 6 to 9th  India tour, the survivors left no stone unturned to get their voices heard but the historic tour ended without a mention about the disaster that has earned itself a new time-line in history chapters.

Sarangi also explained why Tata is in the list. “He is the co-chairperson of United States-India Business Council which had organised Obama’s tour to India. But prior to the arrival of Obama to India, we had mailed and sent him several letters to arrange a 10-minute meeting with him but Tata did not act on it and remained indifferent like others,” he said.