The Bhopal Cause

Protesting the Dow Stalls at the Chicago Industrial Week on International Women’s Day

Supporters of the Bhopal cause decided to visit the Dow stalls at the Chicago Industrial Week, which had a big Dow presence. There were 9 Dow Companies participating in the conferences. Two companies had stalls in the exhibits area which were:

• Dow Corning Corporation (From their website “Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated.”)
• Dow Screenprint

Four of us, supporters of the Bhopal Cause planned to visit the stalls and deliver three things to the Dow representatives:

1. A jhadoo, or Indian broom, as the symbol of our demand that Dow clean up its pollution in Bhopal;

2. A court summons, issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Bhopal, asking Dow     to appear and explain why it continues to shelter its subsidiary Union Carbide, a proclaimed absconder, from obeying the summons of the court and facing criminal charges of "culpable homicide";

3. A copy of the book ‘Trespass Against Us: Dow Chemical & The Toxic Century’

Things did not go as planned. As Dianne, a fellow protestor said, “We ran a greater risk than we had planned for.” Having registered with information that was a healthy mix of fact and fiction the 4 of us entered the conference. We went to the Dow Corning stall and asked for the person in-charge. As we waited for the in-charge to come, we spoke to the representative at the stall. He seemed like a very understanding person who knew all about Bhopal and was very sympathetic. But, to our shock, even as we conversed we were whisked away by the security and the Conference Organizers.  Allison had been clicking photographs as we had been speaking to the Dow Corning person and she continued to click photos as we left the stuff we had wanted to give to the two company representatives, with one Mr. Fred Stone of the Reed Exhibitions, who promised to pass it on to the people we wanted to give it to (I don’t think this will happen).

We were told to leave—in fact we were escorted out. We were made to give up our badges and told to delete the photographs. We gave our badges but refused to delete the photographs. Fellow protestor Khelan in fact held back his badge as his way of ensuring that they let us keep the photos. Things got ugly and heated. The security folks roughed up Khelan, who was moved into a security room and hand cuffed. It all seemed so senseless and confusing. Why did the Dow representatives call the security? What was so threatening about us. Folks concerned about Bhopal who take out time of their schedules? Honestly it was harrowing to witness all this!

Dianne had to call the Chicago Police. After the officer came the McCormick internal security became really mellow. Khelan was released, his driving license which had been taken out of his wallet was returned.

All through we made our best attempts to talk to all those around us - the security guards, roughing up Khelan, the silent observers of the management team.

At the end of the day we could visit only one stall. We were forcefully moved out, shouted at, ruffed up and told to get out.

Lessons Learned

The ICJB (International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal) has become enough of a threat for DOW to keep them thinking of us. In fact one of the first things the organizers told us was “yes, we were told to expect you”.

Never believe your opponent. Even if they say they are calling their supervisor, they are reaching out for the security. Why? Maybe ‘cos they are guilty and scared of us!

Call the police. You have not done anything illegal and you have nothing to loose, except your hand cuffs! They will only threaten to call the police; you will actually call the police.

Always have strong people like Allison, Dianne and Khelan on your team. Thank you folks for taking out time and being there!

Never leave each other alone! Stick together!

Make friends, try and reach out to all you can. Talk! Tell them why you are there. Empty out your pain and frustration at the fact that people are still suffering 20 years after the tragedy! (Something I had seen being practiced by Roshani from Chicago at the Dec2004 protest at Dow board member Mr. Ringler’s house, as she conversed and explained to the police officers who had been by Mr. Ringler to keep a check on us.)

Give flyers to all who are ready to take it in the security cell, win friends. Don’t let them label you as ‘party poopers’ ‘anarchists’ ‘chaos creators’ or whatever else.

Update

As part of the lead up to the Bhopal demonstration outside the Chicago Consulate on April 15th, 2005, we had written to the Consulate General (CG) of India, Chicago to meet with us on that day. However, unable to meet us on April 15th due to prior commitments, the CG proposed to meet us on the mutually convenient date of April 20th, 2005. In view of this response from the CG, we called off the demonstration on April 15th. We will be going in for a dialogue with the CG to give our feedback and demand accountability from the Indian Government. We will keep you updated on the results of the meeting.

However, please be prepared for demonstrations in the future. The Indian Government has dragged its feet on the Bhopal issue for 20 years and we don't want it to take another 20 years, before it addresses the issues being raised by supporters of the Bhopal Cause. We are not looking for consolations but action, in the absence of which we are prepared to take to the streets, if need be.

Please contact Kamayani - kamayani02@yahoo.com or Alpana - alpanacpatel@yahoo.com, if you have any further questions, comments or concerns.

Demand Justice from the Indian Government!

We have four major demands for the Indian government:

• Enforce the clean-up of the contaminated Bhopal site by the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)/Dow Chemical Company
• Ensure that Dow/UCC provides full compensation for the damage done to health and the environment by the ongoing contamination of the site
• Supply clean, safe water for the affected communities
• Provide free healthcare for everyone affected by the disaster, including the children born of parents affected by the gas leak.

The demonstration has been called off - details provided soon.

Background Info on the Bhopal Disaster

The 1984 gas leak in Bhopal, India, known as the "Hiroshima of the chemical industry," remains the worst industrial disaster in human history.

On the night of Dec. 2nd and 3rd, more than 27 tons of methyl isocyanate and other deadly gases were released from Union Carbide's pesticide factory in Bhopal. The plant's safety systems were poorly designed, and on the night of the disaster all six of them were either malfunctioning or under repair. Thus, the gas was allowed to spread throughout many of the crowded, working-class neighborhoods of Bhopal.

Approximately half a million people were exposed to the gas and at least 22,000 have died till date as a result of their exposure. Among the 120,000 estimated to be suffering serious long-term health effects as a result of their exposure, at least 50,000 are too sick to work for a living. Recent studies have established health effects among children born to gas-affected people, confirming fears of trans-generational effects of the poison gases.

Thousands of tons of toxic wastes abandoned by Union Carbide in and around their Bhopal factory continue to contaminate the environment and leach poisons and cancer-causing chemicals into the groundwater sources supplying a community of 20,000 people. Testing published in a 2002 report revealed poisons such as 1,3,5 trichlorobenzene, dichloromethane, chloroform, lead and mercury in the breast milk of nursing women living near the factory.

In 2001, Michigan-based chemical corporation Dow Chemical purchased Union Carbide, thereby acquiring its assets and liabilities. However Dow Chemical has steadfastly refused to clean up the site, provide safe drinking water, compensate the victims, or disclose information about the health effects of the leaked gases, which doctors could use to properly treat the victims.

The Indian Government on its end has failed to provide safe drinking water to Bhopalis even after a Supreme Court Ruling of 2004 which ordered the State Government to provide safe drinking water to 14 communities in Bhopal.

• Students for Bhopal

• International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal

• Amnesty International Report