"India will not be a helpless partner in her own exploitation and foreign
domination."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

Sir:
More than a month has passed since Union Carbide's victims from Bhopal arrived
in Delhi after having walked 800 km. All this while, they have been sitting on
dharna at Jantar Mantar, not very far from the PMO or your residence. Children
have written letters in blood seeking justice and an appointment with you. Many
have called your office. I am sad to learn that in this last one month that they
have been in New Delhi, you have not found the time for them.

Sir, the Bhopalis had first appealed to you more than two months ago.

Temperatures are soaring, and are slotted to touch 45 degrees. There are many
among those sitting at Jantar Mantar who are very ill due to the effects of
Carbide's poisons. Most are daily wage workers, who have taken loans in the
hope that there presence here will move you as a human being, to meet them and
their demands. Don't you agree that 23 years is too long for a people to wait
for justice?

I'm deeply distressed at the influence exerted by Dow Chemical and Union
Carbide on Indian governance, and concerned that the Indian government is
almost ready to help Dow escape its legal liabilities for the promise of
investment of $1 billion. All that the Bhopalis are asking is that
multinationals also be made to follow the law of the country..What is being
sought by the Bhopalis has already been conceded by you two years ago.

In the last two years, the Government of India, as the largest democracy in the
world, has not been able to muster the political will, or the meager financial
resources to provide clean drinking water to just 25,000 its citizens.

Sir, the dithering on the part of your office and other agencies of the
Government has created a second disaster that is claiming innocent lives, and
threatening unborn generations. I have seen the constant media coverage,
including the recent news about the children being born with gross congenital
deformities.

Sir, I, like millions of others, am outraged at the mistreatment and neglect of
Bhopal's survivors. I support their demands for a special commission on Bhopal
to address economic, medical, social and environmental rehabilitation, and
oversee the speedy provision of clean and free drinking water. I also support
their demand that ongoing legal actions against Dow and Union Carbide are
quickly moved forward.