Gas victims protest Obama's visit, seek adequate compensation

Victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy today held a demonstration here protesting against US President Barack Obama's India visit and sought to know why he and his predecessors remained silent over the world's biggest industrial disaster.

"Despite knowing that over 25,000 persons have died till now due to the leak of poisonous gas from the Union Carbide factory here, why did the previous Presidents of America, in the last 26 years, and Obama himself not bother to utter a word on the Bhopal Gas disaster?" questioned an open letter given by the gas victims to Obama through the US Embassy.

This clearly shows that Obama like his predecessors wants to protect the "criminal" US company Union Carbide Corporation, Dow and former UCC Chairman Warren Anderson, they alleged.

The victims rued that though Obama was unable to make UCC-Dow take future responsibility of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, he has come to India with over 200 CEOs of multi-national companies for "controlling Indian market."

The letter complained that inadequate compensation was given to the Bhopal Gas victims and wanted to know when they would be paid adequate money as per international norms.

The victims also requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to raise the issue with Obama.