27th Anniversary of Bhopal Gas Disaster

Submitted by vinaynp on Sat, 11/26/2011 - 01:42.
Austin “Die-In” Calls on London Olympics officials to drop DOW Chemical sponsorship

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In memory of the Bhopal disaster and the ongoing tragedy in Bhopal, AID-Austin is going to stage a die in. Be there. Interact with volunteers, inform yourselves, share ideas, play dead, sign petitions, chant slogans, and help bring about a positive change.


27 tons of lethal gases leaked from a Union Carbide plant, a fully owned DOW subsidiary, in Dec 1984. It immediately killed 8,000 people. Today, 500,000 people, including children born to parents who survived the disaster, are suffering from exposure-related health effects such as cancer, neurological damage, chaotic menstrual cycles, birth defects and mental illness. Over 20,000 people have been forced to drink water laced with unsafe levels of mercury, carbon tetrachloride and other persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals.

A lot can change for the better if the responsible is held accountable. You can help in making this possible. Join the voices of the UT students, Student organizations, Faculty members, Student Government and Graduate Student Assembly who have come together to pass resolutions to bring about that change.

It is ironic that in the Gulf Coast disaster, BP has been slapped with several billion dollars of expenses and thousands of lawsuits within the first month; whereas in Bhopal, 26 years after the worst-ever industrial disaster in the world with 25,000 lives lost, DOW and the US government continue to shelter the prime accused from Indian courts who have declared him a fugitive from justice.

The organizers of the Olympic Games claim that they are committed to organizing a sustainable and environmentally friendly event. It is therefore completely unacceptable for Dow Chemical to be partnered with the London Olympic Games, and the wider International Olympic Organization.

In Austin, we are organizing the following event:

   
What:
Mass Die-In, sponsored by AID (Association for India's Development), to represent people who have died in Bhopal due to Dow's negligence. Some protestors will always be covered in white shrouds and at a certain time. All protestors will lie down for 10 minutes at 12:00 pm to symbolize those who have died.
When:
Friday, December 2, 2011, 11:00 am - 2:00pm
Where:
West Mall, University of Texas at Austin (behind the fountain)
Why:
 The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal demands the following:
  • Get Dow out of the London 2012 Olympics sponsorship deal.
  • Dow’s subsidiary, Union Carbide, must show up in court to face trial in the ongoing criminal proceedings against them in India.
  • Dow must give the Indian government their requested $23 million deposit now to start cleaning up Bhopal and prevent further spread of the toxins.
  • The Indian Government needs to fulfill its August 2008 promise to establish an “empowered commission” addressing the health, environmental, and economic issues in Bhopal.
  • The Indian Government needs to fulfill its promise to build pipelines to bring clean water to the communities that have been drinking, eating, and washing with contaminated water for 26 years. Construction was started, but has been stalled, and needs to be completed urgently.
What you can do?
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