MPs urged to seek Dow’s removal as London Olympics sponsor
December 5th, 2011 - 6:15 pm ICT by IANS
Bhopal, Dec 5 (IANS) The Indian government and leaders must press for dropping Dow Chemicals, which now owns the company responsible for the Bhopal Gas disaster, from the list of sponsors of the 2012 Olympics in London, former hockey Olympian and ex-MP Aslam Sher Khan said Monday.
“It is surprising that Indian leaders have not raised the issue so far, while in Britain the issue has been raised by 24 MPs. A British parliamentarian even met me and asked why there is no concern so far in India,” Aslam Sher Khan said. He added he will write to members of parliament to raise the issue in the ongoing parliament session.
“And if all this cannot force the London Olympics organising body to remove Dow from sponsoring the Olympics, the 5.5 lakh gas survivors will come on roads to protest. If needed, we will sit on a fast to press government to register a protest,” Khan said, addressing a press conference here.
He said he has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the union sports ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on the issue.
Dow Chemicals now owns Union Carbide, the company which caused the instant death of over 15,000 people and effected more than 500,000 when poisonous methyl iso-cyanate (MIC) gas leaked oout of its Bhopal plant on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984.
On the 27th anniversary of one of the world’s worst industrial disasters, thousands of gas survivors, demanding the Madhya Pradesh government present correct figure before the Supreme Court in its curative petition and protesting Dow Chemicals’ sponsorship of the London Games, stopped trains crossing Bhopal and clashed with police.
“The Dec 3 incident was unfortunate, but it shows how the wounds of survivors are still afresh, and how governments have been doing politics on the issue. Why is it that only NGOs will raise the issue, why cannot others support the cause and press the government,” asked Khan, a two-time Congress MP.
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- Bhopal gas victims protest to seek Obama's help - Nov 07, 2010
- Paralympics urge to cancel Dow Chemicals sponsor - Feb 01, 2012
- Protest Dow's sponsorship of London Olympics, Chouhan urges Maken - Nov 24, 2011
- IOA president asks IOC to remove Dow as Olympics sponsor - Dec 20, 2011
- Sebastian Coe's effigy burnt on Bhopal gas tragedy's 27th anniversary - Dec 02, 2011
- Bhopal gas survivors to stop trains on 27th anniversary - Nov 25, 2011
- Olympics boycott is on the table, claims Bhopal NGO - Feb 27, 2012
- Bhopal gas survivors welcome Ethics Commissioner's resignation - Jan 26, 2012
- Bhopal victims write to PM on Dow sponsoring London Olympics - Aug 11, 2011
- 26 years on, Bhopal gas survivors rally for justice - Dec 03, 2010
- Bhopal activists blast IOC - Feb 16, 2012
Tags: 2012 olympics, bhopal gas disaster, british parliamentarian, dow chemicals, indian olympic association, industrial disasters, london games, london olympics, madhya pradesh government, manmohan singh, members of parliament, organising body, parliament session, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, progressive alliance, sher khan, sonia gandhi, sports ministry, union carbide