There are many instances of toxic hazards suffered by people the world over.
The dust has settled for local politicians like Babulal Gaur (Minister for Bhopal Gas Relief and Rehabilitation), who says: “Toxic waste issue of Union Carbide has been washed away in the last 25 years.”
But for Tani Yoichi (61) and Ward Morehouse (80), the issue is as burning as ever. Their fight against careless dumping of lethal toxic wastes by corporate houses globally is on.
Morehouse has his Bhopal Action Resource Centre in New York and Tani has Bhopal Information Network in Japan. Both are now on visit to Bhopal to show their solidarity with the 1984 Bhopal gas victims. “Thousands of residents of Minamata Bay area, Osaka Bay and Shiranio sea coastal area are fighting for justice since 1957 when Minamata disease struck them as Chisso company had been negligently dumping methylmercury in the sea. The company ignored thousands of fishermen who developed various diseases, primarily central nervous system failure,” Tani told BS here.
The issue raised by Tani and various other groups in local courts and also the Supreme Court of Japan drew world attention, and finally made the local and central government to fix responsibility on Chisso company. Otherwise, it had received handsome funds from Japan government in name of introducing technologies. “Like those of Bhopal, hundreds are still suffering and the sea, particularly bay area is yet being polluted, though on a lower level. Our fight against chemical pollution has become more intense. As many as 200,000 people are affected due to pollution in various prefectures,” Tani said adding, “Bhopal is an eye-opener for all governments to be more cautious on chemical and toxic wastes.”
Like Bhopal, it is difficult for sufferers who have entered their 50s to prove the symptom of Minamata disease, although they exhibit higher brain dysfunction, apparently caused by mercury. “The biggest challenges for the future is how to deal with such fetal sufferers, be it Bhopal or Minamata Bay area,” Tani said.
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In a similar way Morehouse, who has worked on various human rights platforms and had pressed for a policy for human rights on this ground said, “We have achieved a lot after Bhopal. The world is sympathetic to those who are exposed to lethal toxic chemicals, and corporate houses that violate human rights laws can be held accountable in the court of law in and outside the US.”
His orgnisation Council on International and Public Affairs (Cipa), founded in 1954 is a non-profit research, education, and publishing group with objective of demand for further study and public understanding of problems and affairs of the peoples of the United States and other nations of the world through conferences, research, seminars and workshops. Bhopal Action Resource Centre supports the struggle of the victims of the world’s worst industrial disaster for justice. Cipa developed and maintains a website to provide information for the US about the work of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal. “Also we want US Congress to work for a law that can limit the negligent dumping of lethal chemicals in the world environment,”Morehouse added. Tani and Morehouse doubt about the attitude of the politicians and say they are globally democratic in shirking responsibilities and hand in gloves with corporate houses over public health issues.
Noted environment consultant Barry Castleman has hopes that Bhopal issue is very important while defining code of sustainable practice in occupational and environmental health and safety for corporations.
“Corporate houses have to learn how they should behave in third world nations. Dow cannot shirk responsibility of Bhopal when it has legally acquired Union Carbide, with liabilities automatically transferred to it,”Barry said. The new Code defines international guidelines apply to occupational exposure to air contaminants, plant safety, air and water pollutants releases, hazardous waste disposal practices, remediation of polluted sites, public disclosure of toxic releases, product hazard labeling, sale of products for specific uses, storage and transport of toxic intermediates and products, corporate safety and health auditing,and corporate environment auditing.
For Tani, Morehouse and Berry, their visit to Bhopal is not a ritual but gives a fresh stamina to fight for the world environment, human safety and lesser lethal corporate world. “Bhopal gives us new strength to fight against a company that committed a crime of negligence 52 years ago,” Tani says.