Bhopal Gas tragedy happens to be just a beginning, it is bound to happen again and again as it happened in Bangladesh!
Palash Biswas
We have to see often industrial accidents, the Bangladesh incident has proved it once again. In India, we boast to be citizen of greatest democracy in the world, but we as nation failed to press for justice to the Bhopal Gas tragedy victims. Now,the search for bodies in the wreckage of a Bangladesh garment factory that collapsed almost three weeks ago is drawing to a close.Soldiers and salvage workers have recovered 1,127 bodies from the site of the Rana Plaza building near Dhaka.It is reminiscent to Bhopal gas tragedy. Incidentally, democracy in Bangladesh is threatened as never before by the fundamentalists despite resurgence of secular democratic nationalist values of freedom struggle. We never know whether democracy in Bangladesh would survive or not, nor do we care about it which is bound to have greater impact on the bleeding divided south asian geopolitics already in constant turmoil. But Rana Plaza wreckage showcases the most insecure industrial set up mushrooming all over the third world thanks to free flow of foreign capital and governments losing control over market as well as industries. Bhopal Gas tragedy happens to be just a beginning, it is bound to happen again and again as it happened in Bangladesh.
The Rana Plaza building collapse is the latest in a series of deadly incidents focusing global attention on safety standards in Bangladesh's garment industry.Safety standard in Indian industrial set up specifically in basic industries had always been demanding and had always been neglected. For example, Mining ind India has never been safe. Industrialisation has never been linked to environment and always caused mass displacement and greater calamities in the Himalayas, Central India and everywhere in the tribal belt. Industries having powerful lobbies do succeed to sustain the disaster mongering set up to garner more and more profit. In India, corporate funding for the political parties have become legal thanks to Pranab Mukherjee and it has resulted in corporate raj absolute.It is not just policy making, legislation and execution, the politics itself has become corporate. Economic reforms means violation of every law on the land. Indo US nuclear agreement has placed nuclear bombs ticking rather in our hearts and minds as the nation has opted for nuclear energy, the best option to embrace nuclear holocaust. We have seen big dams and nuclear plants hitherto, we have witnessed Union Carbide and Dow chemicals, now it is the turn of walmart and so on. SEZ law have created so many foreign territories where the law of the land is immuned just like the presidential immunity which stops investigation in trial in every scam whatsoever. Thus, we Indians are predestined to suffer greater industrial disaster in near future as Bhopal Gas Tragedy warned decades before.
A female garment worker, Reshma, was the last survivor to be pulled from the wreckage, 17 days after the building collapsed.
Reshma Begum, centre, the 19-year-old seamstress who spent 17 days trapped in the rubble of a collapsed factory building talks to the media at a hospital in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, May 13, 2013. (AP / A.M. Ahad)
"The possibility of getting more bodies is thin," said Brigadier General Mohammad Siddiqul Alam Shikder.
The government also promised to lift trade union restrictions amid pressure to improve garment industry conditions.
The military will hand over the site to the district administration on Tuesday, army spokesman Shahinul Islam said.
Bhopal disaster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leakincident in India, considered the world's worst industrial disaster.[1] It occurred on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals. The toxic substance made its way in and around the shantytowns located near the plant.[2] Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259. The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release.[3] Others[who?] estimate 8,000 died within two weeks and another 8,000 or more have since died from gas-related diseases.[4][5] A government affidavit in 2006 stated the leak caused 558,125 injuries including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries.[6]
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 interest in UCIL toEveready Industries India Limited (EIIL), which subsequently merged with McLeod Russel (India) Ltd. Eveready Industries India, Limited, ended cleanup on the site in 1998, when it terminated its 99-year lease and turned over control of the site to the state government of Madhya Pradesh. Dow Chemical Company purchased UCC in 2001, seventeen years after the disaster.
Civil and criminal cases are pending in the District Court of Bhopal, India, involving UCC and Warren Anderson, UCC CEO at the time of the disaster.[7][8] In June 2010, seven ex-employees, including the former UCIL chairman, were convicted in Bhopal of causing death by negligence and sentenced to two years imprisonment and a fine of about $2,000 each, the maximum punishment allowed by Indian law. An eighth former employee was also convicted, but died before the judgment was passed.[1]
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster
An NGO fighting for the rights of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims on Sunday alleged that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's office has lost 1,500 memorandums submitted by the affected persons in support of their various demands.
The NGO demanded action against those responsible for the lapse.
"We submitted 1,500 memorandums to the Chief Minister on the occasion of 28th anniversary of the gas tragedy, but it is most unfortunate that his office has lost them which reflects the kind of seriousness on the part of the government in solving the problems being faced by large number of gas affected persons," Bhopal Gas Victims' women's wing convener, Abdul Jabbar told reporters.
"This fact was revealed when despite Chouhan's assurance, no meeting was organised with the NGOs fighting for the rights of the gas victims by the government even after two months of the Chief Minister's directive," Jabbar said.
Jabbar alleged that despite several reminders to the government on the issue, on May 10 an official had called to inform that the memorandums, submitted on December 3 last, had not reached the office yet, further demanding for a copy to initiate a process to organise the meeting.
However, the official admitted that they had received ten reminders for organising a meeting in this regard, he said.
"The act of the state government is nothing but a major betrayal towards the five lakh gas-affected people," Jabbar said.
Jabbar suspected that it was deliberately being done by some vested interests to grab Rs 275 crore out of the total Rs 982.75 crore sanctioned by the Centre for providing relief to the gas-affected persons and demanded strict action against those responsible for it.
When contacted for comments on the issue, Chief Minister's secretary S K Mishra said that they were looking into the matter.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy NGOs reveal Wikileaks' cables on Dow Chemicals; Allege Indian Govt. kowtowed to US pressure
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Representatives of five NGOs (non-government organisations) working for the welfare of the survivors of 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, the world's worst industrial catastrophe, have accused the Government of India of kowtowing to US Government pressure to serve the interests of Union Carbide and Dow Chemical in Bhopal.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday the representatives of the NGOs while citing recently released documents from Wikileaks' "Kissinger Cables" said former Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia welcomed Dow investments in India and contradicted the Government of India's stated position on Dow's liabilities in India.
Representatives of five NGOs working for the welfare of the survivors of 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy addressing Press Conference.
A cable sent by Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi Steven J White on July 27, 2007 says: "During the CEO forum event in October 2006, GOI officials including Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia stated that they welcomed further Dow investment in India and did not believe that Dow was responsible for the disaster site clean-up."
The US Ambassador David Mulford is reported to be urging the Government of India to "drop its claims against Dow" in a cable sent on September 18, 2007. In reply Ahluwalia assures the Ambassador that the Government of India does not hold Dow responsible for the clean-up but is unable to withdraw its claims against Dow because of "active and vocal" NGOs. According to the cable Ahluwalia then advised the Ambassador to discuss the issue of Dow Chemical's Bhopal liabilities with Finance Minister Chidambaram.
The Bhopal organisations said the available cables indicate that the Government of India has consistently short-changed Indians and Bhopalis and served the interests of Union Carbide Corporation. As early as in the 1970s, the Government of India compromised on principles related to foreign exchange to help Union Carbide retain majority control over Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL).
The organizations stated that a cable sent by Deputy Chief of Mission David T. Schneider from the US Embassy in New Delhi on February 4, 1975 shows that the Government of India allowed Union Carbide, USA to bypass the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act and obtain loans from American Exim Bank instead of an Indian financing agency. Another cable of September 11, 1975 from US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to the US Embassy in India shows the support the US government gave to Union Carbide, USA in securing loans from the US Exim Bank for its Bhopal operations.
The organizations presented copy of a cable sent by the then US Ambassador in India William Saxbe on April 20, 1976 that expresses satisfaction at the dilution of FERA guidelines so that Union Carbide can continue to hold majority stakes in its Indian subsidiary.
The representatives of five organizations – Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha, Children against Dow/Carbide and Bhopal Group for Information & Action stated that the Wikileaks documents highlight the historical roots of the continuing injustice in the case of the world's worst industrial disaster in Bhopal. They said that the injustice in Bhopal is being perpetuated by the support of the US and Indian government to Union Carbide and Dow Chemical as well as that by traitors such as Kamal Nath, Chidambaram and Ahluwalia.
It may be recalled here that on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 Union Carbide pesticide manufacturing factory had spewed poisonous Methyl Iso-cyanate gas whereby 3000 people had perished virtually instantly and over the years more than 25000 have kissed death and the sad saga is still continuing uninterruptedly. About half a million are suffering from the side effects of the poisonous gas and several thousand people have been maimed for life.
A cartoon on display of Uncle Sam controlling Indian high profile leaders and officials at the venue of Press Conference.
Meanwhile, the details of the extracts from Wikileaks are as follows:-
EXTRACTS FROM WIKILEAKS
Date: February 4 1975
Sub: Union Carbide Application for Exim Loans
From: US Embassy, New Delhi, India
To: Department of State, United States of America
URL: https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975NEWDE01606_b.html
Extract: AS SEEN FROM THE GOI POINT OF VIEW THE ISSUE IS ONE OF PRINCIPLE AND IT HAS ALREADY AGREED TO COMPROMISES NOT USUALLY AVAIL- ABLE TO INDIAN BORROWERS
Date: SEPTEMBER 25 1975
Sub: Indo-US Relations: Atmospherics: Positive Vibrations
From: US Embassy, New Delhi, India
To: Department of State, United States of America
URL: https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975NEWDE12918_b.html
Extract: We are trying to take advantage of the opening provided by Kaul's interest in solving economic problems by asking for finance action to resolve a large variety of problems such as the fertilizer arbitration case, remittance delays, Pan Am and TWA problems and pending investment proposals such as Union Carbide and national starch as well as an easing of the more onerous FERA guidelines. (as this cable was being prepared union carbide telephoned to say that its proposal had been suddenly approved after 6 months of waiting.) we hope to get more results. The "success stories" so far relate to GOI movement on the north Vietnam problem, a noticeable easing of "fly Indian" restrictions on Indians travelling on USG programs and union carbide.
Date: JANUARY 5, 1976
Sub: Press Release on EXIMBANK Credit to India
From: Department of State, United States of America India
To: US Embassy, New Delhi
URL: https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976STATE001679_b.html
Extract: The Export-Import Bank of the United States has authorized a direct credit of dol1,260,000 to Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), to support a dol2.8 million sale of US equipment and services required for the construction of a plant to produce insecticides and other agricultural chemicals. The plant will be built at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, for the production of methyl-isocyanate based pesticides. us purchases will include reactors, distillation towers, heat unclassified un-classified page 02 state 001679 exchangers, centrifuges, filters, dryers, valves, control instrumentation, safety equipment. us suppliers will include Vulcan manufacturing company of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Gould pumps inc., of Seneca fall, New York, among others.
Date: APRIL 20 1976
Sub: Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) Guidelines amended
From: US Embassy, New Delhi, India
To: Department of State, United States of America
URL: https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976NEWDE05722_b.html
Extract: the earlier guidelines had created problems for the goi in dealing with the cases of multi-product companies such as union carbide, phillips of the netherlands, imperial chemical industries and other whose contribution to indian industrial development and exports was vital but who could not match the strict criteria under the old guidelines and, at the same time, were unwilling to come down to a 40 percent foreign equity position. foreign capital is now assured of a reasonable chance to retain majority holding and management control for investment in india under conditions which, most foreign businessmen feel, are not unduly restrictive
Date: JULY 27, 2007
Sub: New Delhi Weekly ECON Office Highlights
From: US Embassy, New Delhi, India
To: Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury, Federal Aviation Administration, India Chennai, India Kolkata, India Mumbai
URL: https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07NEWDELHI3429_a.html
Extract: During the CEO Forum event in October 2006, GOI officials including Commerce Minister Nath and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia stated that they welcomed further Dow investment in India and did not believe that Dow was responsible for the disaster site clean-up.
Date: SEPTEMBER 18, 2007:
Sub: Ambassador Discusses CEO Forum Issues with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Ahluwalia
From: US Embassy, New Delhi, India
To: Department of Commerce | Department of Energy | Department of State | Department of the Treasury | India Chennai | India Kolkata | India Mumbai
URL: https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07NEWDELHI4272_a.html
Extract: The Ambassador also cited the GOI's continued third party claims against Dow Chemical in the ongoing Bhopal land reclamation lawsuit as a further impediment by Dow and others to invest in India, and he asked that the GOI drop its claims against Dow. Ahluwalia took the Ambassador's points on McDermott, noting the importance of finally putting the issue to rest. On Dow, he said that the GOI does not understand Dow's concern about future civil or criminal liability since the GOI third-party claims do not suggest a GOI presumption that Dow is responsible for the cleanup.
The GOI's problem is that the NGOs are very active and vocal in this case, and it is very difficult for the Government to now drop its claims against Dow. The GOI was hoping for a quick resolution of the case which would have settled the issue, but Dow prevented this by asking for a stay in the proceedings. Ahluwalia noted that the issue of whether a company like Dow can be held liable for the actions of another company solely on the basis of acquiring that company after the culpable activity occurred is an important and novel legal issue in India that needs to be resolved. Ahluwalia recommended that the Ambassador discuss the issue with Finance Minister Chidambaram - a noted jurist. (pervezbari@eth.net)
Bangladesh seamstress who survived Rana Plaza collapse renounces garment work
SAVAR, Bangladesh -- The 19-year-old seamstress who spent 17 days trapped in the rubble of a collapsed factory building said Monday that she will never again work in a Bangladesh garment factory.
Reshma Begum was pulled in remarkably good shape from the wreckage of the eight-storey Rana Plaza building on Friday. Stunned rescue workers were drawn to the wide pocket under the rubble where she had taken refuge when they heard her banging on a pipe.
Begum was brought in a wheelchair to speak with journalists just outside her room in the intensive care unit of a military hospital. She suffered a head injury in the collapse, and part of her head was covered Monday with a light violet shawl.
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PHOTOS
Rescuers carry a survivor pulled out from the rubble of a building that collapsed in Saver, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, May 10, 2013. (AP / Parvez Ahmad Rony)
Flanked by a nurse a psychiatrist and another doctor, she initially appeared dazed and fragile and spoke in a voice so low it was impossible to hear.
Finally, in a low shaky voice, she recounted her ordeal.
She said she moved to the Dhaka area three years ago and began working. On April 2, she joined a garment factory on the second floor of Rana Plaza, where she earned 4,700 takas ($60) a month.
On the morning of April 24, she heard there were cracks in the building and saw co-workers, mainly men, refusing to enter. The managers reassured them: "There is no problem. You do your work," she said.
Soon after, the building crashed down around her.
"When it happened I fell down and was injured in the head heavily. Then I found myself in darkness," she said. She tried to crawl to safety, but could not find a way out, she said.
She survived on four packets of cookies she had with her and some water, she said.
"Another person, a man, was near me. He asked for water. I could not help him. He died. He screamed, 'Save me,' but he died," she said. "I can't remember everything that happened."
"I never thought of coming back alive," she said.
Brig. Gen. Ashfaq, a psychiatrist at the hospital who uses only one name, said Begum was puzzled and confused when she was rescued.
"She got panicked when someone touched her," he said. "Now she is doing fine, better. We have talked a lot with her."
Begum's survival has been a rare moment of joy amid the morbid task of removing bodies from the disaster site. On Monday, with a death toll of 1,127, the military announced it was ending its search for bodies from the building.
The tragedy has created global pressure for reform in the Bangladeshi garment industry. But Begum said she will not be drawn back into such work.
"I will not work in a garment factory again," she said.
Pease read the BBC reports to feel the plight of the victims!
The army will hand over the site of the Rana Plaza wreckage to civilian officials
Union rights
On Monday, the government agreed to allow garment workers to form trade unions without permission from factory owners as part of growing concessions for industry reform.
Garment workers have increased their demands for higher wages since the Rana Plaza collapse
The government amended the 2006 Labour Act lifting restrictions on forming trade unions in most industries, spokesman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said.
"The government is doing it for the welfare of the workers," Mr Bhuiyan told reporters.
This comes a day after the government created a new panel of union representatives and factory workers to raise the minimum wage for garment workers.
However, trade union leaders have responded cautiously to the changes.
"The issue is not really about making a new law or amending the old one,'' Kalpana Akter of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity told Associated Press news agency.
"In the past whenever workers tried to form associations they were subjected to beatings and harassment.''
The textile industry's main body, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, also said on Monday it would close hundreds of garment factories "indefinitely" in an industrial suburb of Dhaka after continued unrest by workers.
Safety concerns
Bangladesh has one of the largest garment industries in the world, and some of the clothes produced in the Rana Plaza building were made for Western retailers.
Last Wednesday, the country announced the shutdown of 18 garment factories for safety reasons, amid growing concerns over the issue of industrial safety across the country.
A fire in a garment factory building in another part of the capital last week killed eight people, including its owner, a senior police officer and a local politician.
The cause of the blaze is not yet known, but it began during the night, after the factories had closed for the day, and sent out smoke and gas that suffocated victims as they ran down stairs, officials said.
Dhaka collapse
Factories and buyers
List of the garment factories who were in the collapsed Dhaka building and statements from the Western firms they supplied.
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Confusion over numbers
'I cut off limbs to save lives'
Profile: Rana Plaza owner
Shattered lives
Can industry change?
'Waiting for death'
Dark underworld
Deaths 'avoidable'
Workers 'should be helped'
Collapsed buildings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22513861
Full coverage
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