Most recruited students unaware of Bhopal gas tragedy; say earning bread is their concern
Dow Chemical, which now owns Union Carbide that was responsible for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, has recruited over a dozen students from the city in campus placements this year. About half of these selected students are from Anna University. The company took over Union Carbide only in 1999, but issues related to adequate compensation to victims of the tragedy that left thousands dead and remediation of the contaminated site are still lingering.
The Indian Olympic Association has expressed its opposition to Dow Chemical being one of the sponsors for this year's Olympic Games in London. And in 2007, when the U.S. multinational started recruiting students from campuses, over 1,000 students and faculty members of IIT- Madras had opposed it vehemently, leading to the cancellation of its recruitment drive on its campus.
Even today, the IITs in Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur and Bombay do not allow the company to recruit from their campuses.
Recruited students of Anna University, however, have a different take on the issue.
A chemical engineering student hailing from Tiruvannamalai who got hired by the company this year said: “With 87 per cent in class XII, I am here studying chemical engineering in a government college because I needed to pay only Rs. 16,000 a year compared to the Rs. 2 lakh I would have had to pay if I went for computer engineering or any sought-after stream in a self-financed college. For a lot of us who belong to lower-middle class families, getting a job is paramount as we have to support our families.”
Many of these selected students, who are not even aware of the gas tragedy, were offered internships in the company through the placement cell of the Anna University in the third year itself, while the rest got recruited through campus interviews.
“For a lot of us, getting into Dow is like a dream come true because there are very few core chemical companies that come here for placements,” said another student from the chemical engineering department.
“Indian Oil Corporation may have offered the highest pay packet, of Rs. 8.7 lakh per annum, but Dow Chemical, which offered Rs. 6 lakh, was a favourite because it simply had an HR interview, unlike the others who conducted technical interviews as well,” the student added.
“Our seniors say the workplace at Dow is quite conducive for fresh graduates because there is no hierarchy as is seen in many of the PSUs. And unlike many recruiters, the company has already given us offer letters, asking us to join on June 4 at the Chennai office,” said another Dow recruit. “As for the Bhopal tragedy, we were not even born then. Moreover, Dow was not in control of Union Carbide at the time,” he said rather diffidently.
Three years ago, when Dow Chemical was to sponsor ‘Kurukshetra,' the annual fest of the College of Engineering, students from engineering institutions across the city came together and urged the college to return the money, warning the college that the association could severely affect its reputation. Organisations such as International Campaign for Justice for Bhopal (ICJB) and Students for Bhopal had also written to the University to shun the sponsorship.
“Instead, we wanted the university administration and students to meet the survivors of the tragedy, but the officials did not show any interest. The story of the tragedy was never presented to the students, because of which many are not even aware of it,” says Nityanand Jayaraman, a city-based activist associated with the struggle to get justice for the victims.
“It is the fault of educational institutions that provide a forum for such companies to foster associations. It is disheartening to see pay packets meaning more than values.”
Anna University officials maintained that no sponsorships were being accepted from Dow Chemical even now but refused to respond on its students being hired by the company through campus interviews.
Keywords: Dow Chemical, Bhopal gas tragedy
It is for the individual to decide on seeking and accepting employment
with an organisation. However, it should be an informed decision that
is fully cognizant of the social and moral issues involved. Ignorance
and various other rationale cannot be the basis for such a decision.
It is unconscionable for a chemical engineer to say, "As for the
Bhopal tragedy, we were not even born then." and thus suggest that
there is no social or moral responsibility to be shouldered. In fact,
it was just such indifference to safety norms that led to this
terrible tragedy.
This is the face of our youth ....I dont blame them its just that the whole system from parents to teachers is corrupt...moral corruption .And this no Anna Hazare no Lokpal can stop. Am happy that IIT's have a stand by not allowing Dow to enter ..this is why I say IIT's are IITs...good or bad they have a damn stand ..
As for the gradates who went there ...yes yes we all seek a job. And I dont buy the line that Dow is the last recruit .We have hundreds others ..And just because the government absolved its responsibilities does mean we as citizens should do that too.We too must have some responsibilities towards our countries.It is our mother after all please dont forget .
I do not know why these students should not take up jobs offered by Dow Chemical.s 1. IT was union carbide that was responsible for the Bhopal Gas Leak and not Dow Chemicals. 2. The corrupt governmetn officals let go the Union Carbide management 3. the money(whatever little) thatwas given as compensation was totally mis managed 4. Most of the money went to line the pockets of corrupt politicians. Why blame the poort studnets for taking up jobs. Get hold of teh corrupt politicians and make them answer
There is no sense in blaming the students.It is a dream of every non-IT
student to work in his/her core company.Moreover , it is not possible
for each and every student in our poor country to graduate from a
sponsored college , they need to support their families too.It is the
fault of government and our judiciary that they let go easily the UNION
CARBIDE matter and turned their backs towards the matter.It doesn't seem
wise to question students.What is happening to our nation..?
No point in blaming the students and the university for this. Why did
Government allowed DOW chemicals to be in India? What did Media do when
Dow started its office in Chennai? And why do we like pointing fingers to soft targets?
@ Shalabh
you are overlooking a very important fact here, that poverty is India's worst evil. More people commit suicide or die because of poverty, are you saying that these youngsters should shun away an opportunity to satisfy moral values ? set by whom ? it takes more than values to fill ones stomach. More ever, Union Carbide is the guilty party and not Dow which took over
UCIL was the Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), with Indian Government controlled banks and the Indian public holding a 49.1 percent stake. In 1994, the Supreme Court of India allowed UCC to sell its 50.9 percent share. Union Carbide sold UCIL, the Bhopal plant operator, to Eveready Industries India Limited in 1994. The Bhopal plant was later sold to McLeod Russel (India) Ltd. Dow Chemical Company purchased UCC in 2001.
We understand the agony of Bhopal gas tragedy victims and the compensation they got is very meager, in fact nothing. Does any one impinge on values, dharma etc when you are stomach is hunger-fired. Thats what the poor students followed. Its unfair that these students(poor) should also go down with already gone victims of unfortunate,careless tragedy. Union Carbide was the culprit-in-chief and what was our govt. doing from 1984 to 1999 before Dow chemicals over-took it? Corrupt politicians, careless public-strategists should be questioned first, not these students. Something should have done before 1999 to avoid the allegation of Dow " I was not the owner then". Any way I am on the side of these innocent victims and praying for some relief any way it is possible.
The double standards of journalists are absurd.The GOI,the press and the judiciary ensured the culprits are let off scot free.Now jumping on poor students to take a stand is idiotic.
Seriously, what is wrong with what the students said, ideological differences aside?
1) Very few non-IT companies come and offer jobs in Regional Engineering colleges.
2) Very few Chemical companies come and offer jobs too
3) Are the students expected to graduate and stay without a job..or join the IT bandwagon with a Chemical Engg degree? or..well...leave to the US...or...well well...write CAT?
-Can we be sure that if more and more chemical companies come...and students are made aware of some history, they might still choose Dow Chemicals?
Like the students said, they also need some livelihood. Everyone is not a Howard Roark.
It is not Dow Chemical or Union Carbide fault that the Bhopal victims did not get
compensation. Blame squarely goes to the government and the judiciary for letting
Union Carbide off the hook.
Then whatever money collected was mismanaged by the government. Who is to
blame?
It is the students' choice.People can not compel them for anything. If people can do something, it is weeding out the politicians who had let Union Carbide escape. When it comes to elections, people voted for them, but during these silly issues people would want students to boycott a company. It is completely unacceptable in moral and practical sense. Penny wise, Pound foolish?
Pathetic.... Feeding our family is important, there could be any job opportunities in other core chemical companies, but moral values and your concise is surmount and foremost. I can work upon 10k per month rather than going for whopping 50k per month to keep intact my values. The truth is more vibrant and painful than commenting sitting thousands of kms. away , just go through those survivors over the years , then ask yourself. Moreover I also blame the authorities of college to invite such most debated company , other core companies should come forward offering jobs to these students to boycott this DOW JONES.
Why victimice the poor students? Bhopal tragedy and its aftermath is the result of a corrupt congress CM. That fellow was a union minister in India until very recently. Who else is more responsible for not getting proper compensation atleast? With proper industrial safety and regulations this accedent should have been prevented. Dow products are used in India. Why people cannot work there? Atlest the young Indian engineers working in Dow should ensure they follow proper safety procedures with out harm to people and environment. This issue of Dow is a state issue not people issue. Let govt ban Dow operation in India if they think it is appropriate.
A shame!!!first on behalf of the University then second to the person
who got placed (Congrats). Money isn't everything!. Will he talk in this
way if he had lost his dear ones in the tragedy? That too before his
birth? This was a national tragedy and youngsters should know how to
respect it first. There are a lot of core companies in chemical
engineering in the country and DOW isnt the only one in the whole world.
These so-called graduates are not fit to call themselves Indians.
what about the Indians who are working in Dow Chemical and Dow Corning
in the U.S.A, they are happily working for it and all this is just media
hype...
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