The Hindu : National : Celebration for activists fighting for Bhopal victims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 24, 2004

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National

Celebration for activists fighting for Bhopal victims

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 23. It was a day of celebration for activists fighting for the Government to respond to a United States district court order on the Bhopal contamination clean-up case. Following an assurance that the Government and the Ministry concerned had taken necessary action, the three activists whose hunger strike entered its sixth day today, broke their fast with a glass of juice late this evening.

``This is a big achievement. This statement brings us one step closer to a historic order by the U.S. court directing the Union Carbide to clean up the toxic contamination in and around the factory premises in Bhopal. Such an order will not only uphold the ``polluter pays'' principle, but will also set a precedence to hold multinational companies accountable in their home country for their actions abroad,'' said Satinath Sarangi, one of the activist after he broke his fast here today.

Blaming the Government for dragging the issue, he added: ``They just had to write a simple letter. It was clear that the contamination case was not related to the Bhopal tragedy and so did not fall under the Bhopal Act. But the Law Ministry kept insisting that it was. They waited too long but thankfully they have acted now''.

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