The Hindu : National : Bhopal remembers gas tragedy victims, effigies burnt

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Sunday, Dec 04, 2005

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Bhopal remembers gas tragedy victims, effigies burnt

Staff Correspondent

All-religion prayer meeting marks 21st anniversary of the 1984 tragedy

— Photo: A. M. Faruqui

SHOW OF PROTEST: Survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy take out a protest rally in Bhopal on Saturday on the 21st anniversary of the disaster.

BHOPAL: Effigies of the Dow Chemical Company and the former Union Carbide Corporation chairman Warren Anderson were burnt and processions taken out on the city's roads on Saturday to mark the 21st anniversary of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster. Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jakhar attended an all-religion prayer meeting at Barkatullah Bhawan here on Saturday morning. Expressing deep condolence for those killed, he said that serving the gas victims was just like serving God. He asked everyone to come forward and help the victims. The former State Chief Minister Babulal Gaur too attended the meeting.

En masse resignation

Junior doctors of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust resigned en masse on Saturday, protesting against the hospital management's "failure" to heed their demands. One of their main grievances was that contrary to the hospital's objectives, priority was being given to those who were ready to pay for their treatment rather than the victims for whom the hospital was set up.

The doctors were recently on strike, along with nursing and technical staff, demanding Central payscale.

They had called off the strike following the management's assurance that their payscale would be revised.

The procession culminated infront of the Carbide plant, where an effigy depicting

Mr. Anderson and the Dow Chemical Company was burnt.

The Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan held a protest rally at Yaadgaar-e-Shahjahani Park.

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