July 15, 2008
Bhopal reaches Bangkok
Jeny Dolly reports...
Representatives of 44 organisations from 15 different countries who came together for a Climate Justice Conference at Bangkok endorsed a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India asking him to take immediate action on the Bhopal issue. The endorsed memorandum was given to the Indian Embassy in Thailand this morning.
Six of us left to the Indian Embassy from the Hotel around 10.30 in the morning. It happened to be more like a youth delegation and there were representatives from China, Phillipines, India and Indonesia. We reached the embassy and asked to meet the Ambassador. Though the people in the reception called an official, they kept asking us what the letter was about, in spite of reading it many times.
As usual we were made to wait while everyone went about doing their work. After reminding them twice, friends who accompanied me started taking out pieces of papers and wrote messages like "Justice for Bhopal Now" and "Come out and meet us" and stood so close to the Reception that nobody could acess the reception. We also spoke to the people who were sitting there in the lobby and got them to sign the memorandum. In no time the Second Secretary, whose name I am forgetting, came down and met us. We asked him to fix an appointment with the ambassador and he promptly said that 'she is in india'.
Then he brought Bhagwant S. Bishnoi, Deputy Chief of Mission to speak to us. With his excellent PR skills he listened to us, asked questions about Climate Justice and said that the case is in the court and that the Prime Minister would do what is needed to fulfill the demands of the Bhopalis. He said he would send the letter to the concerned people and that he was happy that we had visited him at the embassy.
Posted by tim at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
June 30, 2008
Finance Minister confronted in Madurai
Rupesh Kumar reports from Madurai...
Day 1, 28th June 2008.
A group of 6 went visiting the Finance minister at his M. P. office in Karaikudi. Earlier, we were supposed to have a demonstration outside his office in the headquarters of his Lok Sabha constituency in Sivagangai. But we learnt that he works out of his office in Karaikudi, a nearby town and his native place. We had learnt about his visit to Karaikudi just an evening before. We reached Karaikudi by 11.30 and reached his office by 13.00 after waiting for a few more friends to join us as their bus was delayed at Madurai.
By around 13.00, 7 of us walked into the MPs office and enquired about his availability throughout the day and we were informed that he is busy opening a series of banks ( which he does once a month at his constituency, development of a small town i suppose) in the surrounding areas and will be free only between 8 PM and will meet people only from 6 Am to 8 Am the next morning. On his itinerary, we noticed that he was leaving for Delhi from Madurai by air and decided to confront him at the airport.
Day 2, 29th June 2008.
Eight of us assembled at a library near the airport. We had earlier received confirmation about the FM leaving home and reaching here by around 13.45. So we decided to be at the airport by 13.25 and started walking towards the airport, a 2 Km walk from the library.
Madurai Airport has two lobbies, one for arrival and the other departure. No one is allowed inside the departure lounge without a valid ticket or authorisation. Right outside the departure lobby, we noticed a large crowd of party cadre waiting for his arrival. Karuna (an NBA activist and researcher from Madurai) and I were the first to reach the lobby. Just as we reached the lobby, we noticed a convoy of cars entering the airport and knew it was the Finance Minister. We took out our petition and ran towards the car. Karuna is fair skinned, and was able to reach his car without any objection from his hangers-on. On seeing her and hearing her seek his attention, Chidambaram immediately turned around curiously. By this time, our other friends had also reached the car. Karuna handed over the petition and said that the Bhopalis have been in Delhi for more than 110 days, and urged him to do something about it. He was momentarily shaken.
Clearly, the last thing he expected from a motley bunch such as us, in such an unlikely place as the Madurai airport, was a word about Bhopal. He took the petition and walked away without saying a word to the main lobby, where he stopped again to address his party men.
Posted by tim at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
June 29, 2008
An Eater's Guide to Fasting
Pragya Bhagat writes from Austin, Texas...
June 28, 2008
The first few hours aren't hard. I just imagine that I skipped breakfast…and lunch. It's after half the day has passed that the first gnawing pangs of hunger scrimmage through my stomach, searching for a morsel of food. I wash the desire away with a glassful of water, something that every faster should do ever so frequently. The water temporarily fills me up.
As the day continues, my mind is constantly battling itself. On one side of the battlefield, the scrunching of a newspaper is interpreted as food unwrapping and every smell becomes oh-so-tantalizing. On the other side, I keep telling myself – this is nothing. The Bhopalis are on their 19th day of fasting. If they can do this for more than two weeks, I can do it for a day.
It becomes easier when a few of us gather at the corner of 24th and Guadalupe to collect signatures for the fax campaign directed at Manmohan Singh. There are nine of us, ranging from eight year old Stefanie to 52 year old Jogendra. Spread out on the high people-traffic area known as The Drag, we approach hundreds of individuals over a two hour span. Most of the shoppers on this fine Texas afternoon quickly hustle by us, many read the "I am fasting for justice in Bhopal" speech bubbles taped to our shirts, and some even stop by to talk to us about how they can help.
We try many approaches to increase the number of interested passer-by. Some work better than others.
"Do you have a second to sign a petition?"
"Do you have a minute to talk about corporate responsibility?"
"Yes, I am fasting in support with the Bhopal survivors in India."
Eye contact. If they slow down, they are more likely to listen. Look for desis.
Two hours fly by and we have run out of our three hundred fliers. The nine of us have collected more than one hundred and thirty signatures. Despite the constant presence of the unforgiving sun, we make it through. I break my twenty-four hour fast with a raisin, having gained a previously unrealized appreciation for those seven hundred plus individuals who are also participating in the Global Relay Fast. I can't even fathom what nineteen days of fasting must be like, and what sort of self-discipline one must need in order to smile every morning instead of mentally complaining like I did for the beginning of the day.
What has this experience taught me? The fierce seven who are fasting indefinitely have put their lives on stake for the communities that were poisoned twenty-three years ago. These communities can not and should not struggle aloe; we must help in whatever capacity we can to ensure that corporate crime does not go unpunished. Food should not be taken for granted, and water has just become my new best friend. I encourage all of you to support the Bhopalis' struggle for justice by participating in the Global Relay Hunger Fast. It is definitely an experience you will never forget.
Posted by tim at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2008
Candlelight vigil for Bhopal gas victims
Solidarity: Members of International Campaign for Justice, along with students and supporters of Bhopal gas victims, taking part in the candlelight vigil on M.G. Road in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar
Bangalore: Expressing solidarity with the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, members of the Janaarogya Andolana Karnataka held a candlelight vigil in the city on Saturday.
Several students and members of various social organisations and Dalit groups, who were part of the protest, read out poems on the Bhopal tragedy.
Actor Shivaram, who joined the protest, said justice was delayed in this case only because of the Government’s apathy.
Victims and supporters of the Bhopal tragedy have been struggling for justice for more than 23 years.
Early this year, the victims marched from Bhopal to Delhi.
They are holding a dharna, which has entered its fifth month now. They have started an indefinite hunger strike from June 10.
“It is unfortunate that the victims’ legitimate demands of an empowered commission for Bhopal and legal action against the perpetrators of crime has been met only with arrests and police brutality, backed by an insensitive Government,” the organisers said.
The candlelight vigil was coordinated by the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal and Janaarogya Andolana Karnataka.
Posted by tim at 05:21 PM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2008
Chennai fasts in solidarity with the Bhopal hunger strikers
Chennai, 17th June, 10am to 4 pm
Supporters from Chennai joined the Global Hunger Strike Relay today, in solidarity with the nine Bhopalis who are on an indefinite hunger fast in Delhi. Students from various colleges, unorganized workers unions, fishermen associations, traders association, women's and gender rights movements joined the hunger strike.
Shweta Narayan, who is on her 8th day of hunger fast, joined the dharna braving the heat of Chennai. 150 members including Kirtana, a 5 year old girl sat through the day singing songs of oppression and struggle and sloganeering against the government's apathy. The protestors demanded that the central government fulfill the just demands of the Bhopal survivors, which included an empowered commission for implementing rehabilitation schemes for the affected people as well as taking legal action against DOW chemicals.
Ms. Chandra from Tamilnadu women's collective spoke fervently about the callousness of the state, questioning time and again the legitimacy of a government that fails to stand by its people. She also referred to numerous issues in Tamilnadu, where the state government has acted with the same apathy. Extending her solidarity with the Bhopal survivors, she called for a long and sustained struggle for justice. Pughazhendi, a film director who has been consistently supporting the Bhopal cause, said that there was a danger of other Bhopals if we are not careful and take preventive action. Talking about the nuclear power plant in Kalpakkam, he said "we (residents of Chennai) are sitting close to a nuclear time bomb and the government has never even informed us about the danger". He added that justice for Bhopal was justice for all the people of this country. Tha. Vellaiyan, president of the Tamilnadu Small Traders Association, extended his full support to the Bhopal gas survivors and assured that they would whole heartedly participate in the struggle to bring a guilty corporation to justice. Student leader Balasubramaniam said "leaders like P. Chidambaram who has no support among the people will only act for the good of companies even if it means betraying the people of the country." He extended the support of the student community to the campaign against DOW and other criminal corporations.
Representatives of various political parties also joined the hunger strikers to extend their solidarity with the cause. Com. A.M. Gopu, national council member of CPI, while addressing the gathering said that his party has always stood beside the Bhopal survivors. He also said that they were updated about what was happening in Delhi and have expressed their disappointment to the PM. "We fully understand your demands and are in full support of them, we extend our whole hearted support to your struggle." Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (Dalit Panthers of India) MLA, Mr. Ravikumar and AIADMK MLA, S.Ve Sekhar also joined the hunger fast. Poetess Thamizhachi visited the dharna stal to enquire about the health of Shweta Narayan and to show her solidarity with the people of Bhopal.
The Statement to the Prime Minister was endorsed by Tamilnadu Womens Collective, Kanchi Makkal Mandram, Coastal Peoples Protection Movement, Tamilnadu Manual Workers Union, Tamilnadu Fisherpeople Progressive Organization, Chennai Metro Workers Union, PUCL T.N and Puducherry, South India Fishermen's Welfare Association, Penn Thozhilalar Sangam (Women Workers Union), WCCD Trust, Penn Urimai Iyyakam (Women Rights Movements), Unorganized Workers Federation, Community Environmental Monitoring, Tamilnadu Traders Association, Corporate Accountability Desk and The Other Media.
Mr. Vijaya. T. Rajendar, founder president of Illatchiya Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam, offered juice to the hunger strikers to conclude the one day fast. Shweta Narayan has decided to continue her fast. Before the end of the fast, the protestors also passed resolutions seeking high level probe into the death of Lalit Mehta and seeking the release of Dr. Binayak Sen.
Shweta Narayan (right)
Posted by tim at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)