Bhopal gas victims protest outside parliament

Bhopal gas tragedy victims today staged a protest outside the Parliament in favour of their demand for adequate compensation, right treatment and rehabilitation.
The protesters led by CPIM leader Basudeb Acharya and Convener of Bhopal Gas Victims Struggle Support Committee Sadhna Karnik said that the US should take responsibility of the people who are still suffering because of the tragedy.
Later, a delegation of gas victims led by Acharya submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office.
The 11-point memorandum addressed to the PM mentions that 29 years after the Bhopal gas holocaust five lakh victims are still waiting for a just and adequate compensation.

The list of demands include Rs 10 lakh compensation to each of the half a million victims of Bhopal gas and families of 50,000 deceased victims, Karnik said in a statement issued here.
They also demanded that the death registration stopped by the government in 1992 should be restored and a lifelong pension of Rs 5,000 per month be given to victims.

The memorandum also demands employment for seriously ill young people affected by the toxic gas, rehabilitation of disabled children born after the gas holocaust, supply of clean drinking water to victims and sending a letter to the US President Barack Obama to ask UCC-DOW to take responsibility of Bhopal gas victims and toxic water victims, it said.

According to government data, 80 per cent gas victims are regularly going to hospitals for the last 29 years and more than a lakh are suffering from serious lung diseases.
State government and the Central government have reported only 5,295 deaths to the Supreme Court while more than 50,000 have died during the last 29 years, the statement says.