Bhopal gas victims assured compensation, end fast

After being assured that their demands, including additional compensation, will be met, survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy ended their protest here, a statement said Saturday.

Five women survivors and their supporters began an indefinite hunger strike at protest site Jantar Mantar Nov 10. They ended it Friday evening after the assurance by minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar.

The protesters were demanding additional compensation of Rs.1 lakh for those affected and correcting the numbers of those killed and the extent of injuries in the curative petition filed in the Supreme Court by the central government.

The Union Carbide disaster took place on the intervening night of Dec 2-3, 1984.
The protest was led by five organisations.

"On both our demands, the minister has agreed to the determination of compensation on the basis of data from medical research and hospital records instead of the faulty medical categorization that we were agitating against," said Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh.

The five women survivors broke their waterless fast after four days.

Balkrishna Namdeo of Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha said the minister agreed the curative petition will be "amended on the basis of figures of death and extent of injuries caused by the disaster from scientific research and hospital records".

"The minister has also assured that the government will seek urgent hearing of the amended curative petition," he said.