Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India Prime Minister’s Office, South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi-110011, India Honorable Prime Minister Modi, I am writing to you today out of concern for the thousands of survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster. You are surely aware that December 3, 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of one the world’s most devastating industrial disasters. Within three days of the leak, 7,000-10,000 people died. To date, over 20,000 Indians have died. Over 100,000 suffer ongoing health problems related to a toxic gas leak from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant. I am appalled that survivors of the disaster are still struggling for justice three decades later. Amnesty International and other organizations have worked in solidarity with the people of Bhopal to demand action in three key areas: 1) remediation of the site of the Union Carbide plant; 2) adequate compensation for survivors, many of whom suffer serious, chronic health complications, and have lost loved ones and their livelihoods; and 3) that Union Carbide and Dow Chemical appear before and abide by the rulings of Indian courts, including answering to so-far-ignored charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. I urge your government to commit to three urgent tasks: 1) Clean up the former UCIL (Union Carbide India Limited) factory site in Bhopal as soon as possible; 2) Provide effective and accessible medical assistance to those affected by the disaster and the failure to clean up the disaster site; 3) Ensure that those responsible for the gas leak and ongoing pollution, including Dow Chemical and its wholly owned subsidiary Union Carbide Corporation, are held to account. Mr. Prime Minister, no one should have to live in a contaminated home for 30 years. No one should have to wait 30 years for adequate medical care. No one should have to wait 30 years for a corporation to be held accountable for its actions. The people of Bhopal deserve justice. Thirty years is too long. Sincerely, Copies to: Ambassador Dr. S. Jaishankar Embassy of India 2107 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington DC 20008 Email: [email protected]
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 08:52:40 +0000
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