Bhopal Gas tragedy

Amnesty International was all right when it said the verdict on the Bhopal gas tragedy is “too little, too late“.

“These are historic convictions, but it is too little, too late. Twenty-five years is an unacceptable length of time for the survivors of the disaster and the families of the dead to have waited for a criminal trial to reach a conclusion,” was the first reactions.

Twenty-five years after the worst industrial disaster in world history which claimed over 15,000 lives, a Bhopal court convicted eight people including former Union Carbide India chairman Keshub Mahindra in the Bhopal Gas tragedy case.

The Indian and U.S. governments should take the next step by bringing the U.S.-based Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) to justice. UCC and its former chairman Warren Anderson, who is absconding since the tragedy, were charged in 1987 but both refused to face trial.

People who feel that the victims (of Bhopal gas tragedy) should have got justice earlier are right. It is a serious question. The system should be such that there is no delay in providing justice in such tragedies.

While the Indian employees have now been tried and convicted, the foreign accused has been able to evade justice simply by remaining abroad. This is totally unacceptable.

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Pakistan’s initiative

Pakistan President Asif Zardari’s initiative to have a fresh dialogue with the new government coming to power in India is a welcome gesture. If Pakistan responds to India with a positive mindset and acts sincerely, it will pave the way for better commercial, cultural and sporting relations between two countries. With the new world order favouring a collective combat against terrorism, Pakistan’s call may be considered a positive signal.

President Zardari wants a “commercial relationship” with India and is keenly looking at the “markets of India for industrialists of Pakistan.” He does sound genuine but he has to first withdraw the hordes of jihadi terror peddlers dumped on India, stop the stream of infiltration and close down all jihadi terror manufacturing corporates firmly established in Pakistan. Peace and terror cannot coexist.

These terrorists and extremists are harmful for not only neighboring countries but also for Pakistan herself. In my view Pak can take help of India as well as USA in war against terror.  

India has always shown a firm belief in peace and negotiations to settle its disagreements with Pak. India should make a deliberate effort to impress on Pakistan the need to establish a democratically elected government there and then go ahead with the peace dialogue and economic ties.