Th e S t r u g g l e f o r R i g h t s a n d J us t i ce
37
The Struggle for Rights and Justice
To this day, the site of the toxic gas leak has never been cleaned up and the
abandoned factory remains as a deadly reminder of the disaster. Piles of toxic
chemicals still lie in the open air, and the groundwater beneath the city is
poisoned. Many people never received the medical treatment they needed for
their health problems. For these reasons, the people of Bhopal do not think of
the disaster as something that happened in the past only. They see it as an
ongoing disaster they must face every day.
The pesticide factory was owned by a multinational corporation (a big
company that works in many countries) called Union Carbide. Survivors of
the disaster knew it was not right that their lives had been so damaged by
the disaster. The people affected did not have money to treat their illnesses
or to care for their family members who could no longer work. They wanted
the company to take responsibility. But Union Carbide said the disaster was
caused by a worker in the factory, and refused to take any responsibility even
though it was their factory design that caused the disaster.
Like other people struggling for rights and justice, the people affected by
the Bhopal disaster knew that their poverty not only made their problems
worse — it was a large part of why the disaster happened in the first place.
Justice for Bhopal Banhgeoavpienarl!,
No more chemical
disasters!
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012