[Reader-list] Sunita Narain: Not learning from Bhopal

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Rakesh
 
It would so appear that the purchase by DOW Chemical of Union Carbide was so structured that DOW has no liability arising out of the operations of what was Union Carbide India. 
 
As far as compensation is concerned, DOW therefore, it would seem, carries no liability. I do not think venting against DOW is of any consequence.
 
As far as compensation liability of Union Carbide India is concerned, it seems to have been sealed with the compensation settlement overseen by the Supreme Court of India.
 
Plant Clean-Up at Bhopal also does not seem to have anything to do with DOW Chemical.
 
It would seem that the State and/or Central Govt. messed it up in leaving unaddressed as to who was responsible for the Plant Clean-Up. 
 
It appears that with the other legalities that took place, the responsibility for Plant Clean-Up now lies with the State and/or Central Govt.
 
This is my understanding. I could be wrong.
 
There are however other aspects:
 
- Questions of whether the responsibility of DOW can actually cease under the ethics of 'merger'. Also applies to Eveready India who purchased Union Carbide India. 
 
- Who is responsible for 'environmental devastation', the full impact of which it might not have been possible to assess at the time of 'settlement'
 
- Whether knowingly incomplete disclosures were made which substantially diminished recognition of the seriousness of the 'human and environmental devastation' resulting in the short and long term from the accident.
 
Kshmendra

--- On Sat, 12/5/09, Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Sunita Narain: Not learning from Bhopal
To: "Kshmendra Kaul" <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
Cc: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2009, 4:27 PM


Dear Kshamendra ji

Thanks for putting this mail. People would also be distressed to know that Dow Chemicals (the company which bought over Union Carbide and has refused to accept the liabilities of Bhopal plant and its victims), has been invited by the Tamil Nadu Govt. to start plants in Kancheepuram & Guindy (which is just near my college). 

It is an utter shame indeed that 25 years after Bhopal, we have refused to learn the lessons. (Dow has refused to even clean the plant at Bhopal, forget about providing compensation). 

Rakesh