Volunteers of various non-governmental organisations and students took out a rally and staged demonstration near the Clock Tower here on Saturday demanding justice to victims of Bhopal gas disaster. The members decided to hand over a petition to Union Minister for Chemicals M.K. Azhagiri, demanding action against the company and ordering removal of toxic waste dumped by it near the factory.
Addressing the gathering, Swetha Narayan, member of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB), an international coalition of organisations and individuals working towards achieving justice for the victims and survivors of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, said justice was totally denied to victims. People in the next generation in Madhya Pradesh have been suffering owing to toxic effect even after 26 years. But the Central Government did not care about the people and victims, she added.
Having learnt a bitter lesson from this disaster, the Central Government had been allowing foreign players to start toxic chemical companies in India. More companies would be coming up in Tamil Nadu also. “Our aim was to create awareness among people in this connection,” she added.
Organic Scientist K. Nammazhavar, in his special address, said that land, water and air were poisoned. “If we failed to react now, our very survival will be in question.”
