mohan@sbcs.UUCP (Chilukuri K. Mohan) (12/08/85)
From KAPUR%ge-crd.arpa@CSNET-RELAY Sun Dec 8 05:20:59 1985
News Bulletin 12/07/85
I. The first anniversary of the world's worst
industrial disaster in Bhopal was marked in many
cities in the world
with protests, discussions and debates on the use of
hazardous technology in development and safety of plants using
hazardous technology.
On December 3 morning last year, the residents in the city
of Bhopal were subjected to a nightmare as a
result of a leak of lethal Methyl Isocyanate gas from
Union Carbide plant in Bhopal.
According to unofficial estimates, aproximately
5000 people were killed in 2-3 days following the
leak and over 50,000 are permanently damaged,
with over 200,000 injured.
According to official estimates, 2500 people
died.
According to a report in the Montreal Gazette,
the police arrested over 300 activists of various
grass-roots organizations in Bhopal on the eve of
December 2 in preventive
detention. According to the authorities, this
action was taken to prevent any trouble arising
due to demonstrations outside the Union Carbide
plant against the multinational on the first
anniversay of the accident.
The New York Times reported that over 3000 people
demonstrated on December 2 night outside
the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal,
waving torches and shouting "No More Bhopals, No
More Hiroshima, Save the world" and
"Down with the killer". The effigies of Warren Andreson,
Chairmen, Board of Directors, Union Carbide, were
burnt.
In Montreal, a group of 12 Indians organized
by Indian People's Association in North America
had a 2-hour vigil outside the Union Carbide
plant on December 2 midnight in a stormy and chilly weather.
In New York City, a
Bhopal rememberance Memorial service was held
at a Chapel in the United Nations by the Citizens
Commission on Bhopal.
to
remind the world of the disaster.
The services were
followed next day by an open forum on industrial
plant safety,
the implications of the use of hazardous
technology, and lessons of Bhopal. The New York Times carried a series
of articles examining the safety standards of
chemical industries in the US. India Abroad had
two articles on the plight of victims of the
Bhopal leak and the progress made in law suits.
Most newspapers carried editorials drawing
lessons from the disaster.
II. India's capital New Delhi was affected by a
series of gas leaks in the last three weeks.
On Nov. 22, 3 people were killed and over 200
were overcome by a poisonous gas. The gas leak
apparently occurred in Ghaziabad and strong winds
in the direction of Kalyanpuri brought the gas
cloud to the capital.
The second leak took place from a fertilizer
plant and floated over a congested area of New
Delhi on Dec. 4 sending hundreds of residents
fleeing in panic.
More than 300 people were treated in various hospitals
for eye and throat irritation. Yesterday's
Albany Times Union reported another leak on Friday
without much details.
III. In Punjab, the high priest of the Golden
Temple, Sahib Singh,
was shot on Nov. 26, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev,
by two gunmen as he was walking
through the main entrance to the Golden Temple
complex. His bodyguard was killed. Sahib Singh
was taken to hospital and is reported out of
danger.
Earlier other incidents of violence were
reported from Punjab. So far, 20 people have been
reported killed in extremist violence since the
Akali Dal ministry led by Surjit Singh Barnala
was sworn in.
In another development, Gurcharan Singh Tohra won
the election of the President of the Shiromani
Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. He was being
challenged by the United Akali Dal led by Baba
Joginder Singh as well as dissident section of
the Akali Dal led by supporters of former Chief
Minister Prakash Singh Badal.
IV. United Nations passed a resolution sponsored
by Pakistan calling for South Asia to be a nuclear
weapons-free zone. The vote was 90 to 3 with most
of the nonaligned countries voting in favor of
the resolution.
India, Bhutan and Maritius were the 3 countries
voting against this resolution.
The Indian government has always
opposed this Pakistani proposal.
In a related development,
Indian government will reportedly offer a
comprehensive peace treaty to Pakistan after the
Paksitani government lifts its martial law. This
is according to Kuldip Nayar who also reported
that the treaty will include Pakistan's draft of
a no-war pact.
V. Floods, droughts and natural disasters killed
over 1420 people and destroyed or damaged 2
million houses so far this year. Minister of
State for Agriculture Yogendra Makwana told this
to Rajya Sabha on November 8. 57.2 million people
were reportedly affected by natural calamities.
The crop areas affected totalled 9.5 million
acres.
VI. More than 50 people were reported injured
when police opened fire with protesters in Bombay
on Nov. 30 over attempts by the authorities to
evict 200,000 pavement dwellers. According to
official accounts, the trouble started after a
demolition squad of municipal workers started
breaking down shops in the Null Bazar area.
Hundreds of shops were set ablaze.
Farmers lobby leader Sharad Joshi meanwhile has
askhed people displaced as a
result of eviction to take over five star hotels.
According to Joshi, slum dwellers were mostly
small and marginal farmers who could not survive
in villages because they did not get fair prices
for their farm products.
There were also reports that Joshi is trying to
forge an alliance with powerful trade unionist
Datta Samant and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
Sources: India Now, India Abroad, New York Times,
Montreal Gazette, Albany Times Union.
--------
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***