Today reading Lemming’s diary, one of the diaries I read on a regular basis, I was reminded that the 18th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster has just passed. Lemming had never heard of it before. I suppose she is only about 20 or so. It is to be expected that some things slip through the cracks – some historical events that you never hear about.
But probably more accurately she hasn’t heard of it for two reasons. The first is probably because it happened in India. CNN is lucky if it covers events in Canada let alone the developing world. Most of the mainstream US media are the same. Might have been briefly newsworthy but now it is a long ago and forgotten event. The second reason is because Union Carbide and now it’s new owner, Dow Chemical, have done such an excellent job of white washing the whole thing. Even today Dow refuses to take responsibility for the site and it’s continued contamination. So much so that they have denied any link between continuing birth defects amongst local residents and their abandoned and highly polluted site. They claim that no link can be found between the birth defects and the chemical exposure. All just an amazing coincidence I guess. But it’s no surprise from a merger of scum like Union Carbide with vermin like Dow. Dow being responsible for producing such fine products as Mustard Gas, Picric Acid and Phosgene during World War I. They assisted with the development of atomic weapons during World War II and are responsible for the development and manufacture of those obscene substances – Napalm and Agent Orange – during the Vietnam War. Such a merger could only result in an even more arrogant, deceitful and callous organisation. An organisation who would readily deny culpability for their past misdeeds.
Union Carbide referred to the incident in Bhopal as a ‘tragic industrial accident’ – the truth be told it was an industrial atrocity. An act of appallingly negligent mass murder. Not a single Union Carbide corporate officer or employee has been held accountable for the incident. Not a single one has spent a day in jail. They have consistently dodged their legal and ethical obligations. For shame. For total shame. I think the Bhopal Medical Appeal’s recent advertisement in the Guardian sums it up:
Union Carbide, may God forgive you.
Because God knows the thousands of victims and their families won’t.
