PM flayed for overlooking gas disaster
By IANSTuesday, November 9, 2010
BHOPAL - A leading activist Tuesday flayed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not taking up the plight of the Bhopal gas disaster victims with US President Barack Obama.
“Manmohan Singh has betrayed the people of Bhopal. He is not only insensitive but a coward,” said Abdul Jabbar, coordinator of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udhyog Sangathan (BGPMYS).
“When terrorism was raised (with Obama), why not the worst industrial disaster?”
Tens of thousands people died after lethal gas leaked from the pesticide plant of US company Union Carbide here on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984.
The American company later paid compensation, which activists here say was peanuts considering the terrible human suffering the disaster caused.
“Obama came to do business but our prime minister has not lived up to the expectation of doing justice to one of the biggest issues,” he said.
Jabbar also criticised the Madhya Pradesh government. “Along with the centre, Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s government has also betrayed the survivors of the gas tragedy.”
He said around 5,000 survivors would take to the streets in Bhopal to protest against the injustice done to them by the central as well as state governments.
