Professional Documents
Culture Documents
GRK Murty
It is often the late dawning of the ‘RIGHT’ that results in a tragedy—at
least, that is what every reader of the Greek and Shakespearean
tragedies understands.
Later, fearing that it would take long years for settlement under Indian
legal system, and looking at the urgency in providing relief to the
victims, the GoI agreed to a settlement with UCCA before the Supreme
Court to accept $470 mn, a mere 15% of what it initially claimed in the
US courts, in full settlement of all civil and criminal claims arising out of
the disaster. With this, UCCA got itself extricated from the issue. At the
outcry of the victims, the Supreme Court later resuscitated the criminal
cases, but left the monetary settlement and cessation of civil liability
undisturbed. As a result, criminal proceedings were initiated against
those from India who were responsible for the operation of the plant
on that fateful night.
But the real tragedy of the Bhopal gas disaster is, little has been done
for the victims. Even the site has not been cleaned up till date, though
the toxic waste is known to contaminate the ground water of the
surroundings—already the lindane levels have reportedly crossed the
permissible level by 40 times, and mercury by 24 times.
The net result of the whole episode is: first, the UCCA/UCIL betrayed
the people of Bhopal; second, the GoI faltered in letting the victims
claim commensurate compensation in a free-market system for their
unprecedented suffering; and third, the legal system of the nation
being what it is, no one is sure when the current verdict of the court
will become effective.
Now, what does it all mean? It means: We must decide to ACT—to act
rightly at the right time. If we practice this, things will automatically fall
into place. And many tragedies can be averted.
*****