BHOPAL: The campaign tour undertaken by the women activists of Bhopal this year has fetched huge rewards for the struggle for justice for the thousands of gas victims.

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From: Nityanand Jayaraman - nity68 at vsnl.com
Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2004, 11:18:57 PM
Subject: [Remember-bhopal] News from Bhopal
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Central Chronicle, Bhopal
May 26, 2004
http:// www.centralchronicle.com

Women activists fetch huge rewards for gas victims

BHOPAL: The campaign tour undertaken by the women activists of Bhopal this year has fetched huge rewards for the struggle for justice for the thousands of gas victims.

In a press conference organised here on Tuesday, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh leaders Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla and social activist Satinath Sarangi informed about the achievements of their recent campaign tour to USA and UK.

The women leaders, who were awarded with the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize on April 19 last in San Francisco, USA, spoke about their future plan for the utilisation of the prize money of US $ 1,25,000.

The newly earned fame as recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize helped the two women leaders in gaining unprecedented access to the agencies and officials concerned as well as international media attention to the continuing disaster in Bhopal.

Recounting the achievements of the campaign tour, Rashida Bee, president of the women worker's trade union said, "The Campaign tour this year has fetched huge rewards for the struggle for justice in Bhopal. Jose Antonio Ocampo, Under-secretary General of United Nations has concurred with us on the need of involvement of UN agencies in disaster relief in Bhopal.

Thanks to the involvement of Boston common Asset Management we have holders of 40 million Dow Chemical shares voting for resolution of Dow's Bhopal related liabilities. We have moved city councillors in San Francisco and Boston to pass resolutions and write letters in support of the struggle for justice in Bhopal."

During their five-week tour of USA the three activist visited San Francisco, Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, Boston and Midland.

The Bhopal's women leaders attended large civic receptions in their honour, bonded with communities victimised by Dow and other corporations, delivered speeches at public meetings, addressed press conferences, and took part in demonstrations at the annual meeting of the Dow Chemical company.

In the week-long tour of UK the Bhopal campaigners addressed public meetings at Brighton and London and participated in discussions with the staff of Amnesty International.

Describing their success in generating support for the Bhopal struggle in USA Champa Devi Shukla, Secretary of the union said "We have been offered support by front ranking members of the Democratic Party and some of the most powerful trade unions in USA. The representative of the US State Department has personally assured us of sending latest information regarding the extradition of Warren Anderson from USA.

With support from Association for India's Development (AID) we have had packed hall meetings with students at such well-known educational institutions as Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Harvard and the Massachusetts institute of Technology. We have had meetings with the editorial boards of several newspapers including the New York Times."

The two leaders have decided to donate the entire sum of the prize money of Rupees fifty-six lakh to a charitable trust for the welfare of the gas victims. Medical assistance to children of gas exposed parents with congenital malformations and setting up income generating projects for women survivors will be some of the priorities of the trust proposed to be run by an all-women board. Once the proposed trust is set up, the prize money will be directly transferred to the trust from the Goldman Environmental Foundation.

Responding to the recent statements of the minister of Gas Relief regarding carrying out investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department the two leaders said their organisation, their work among the survivors and their eligibility for the prize is open to public scrutiny at any time.

Our Staff Reporter