BHOPAL, India, Sept. Reuter: More than 350 victims of the Bhopal gas disaster were detained briefly by Indian police today after demonstrating for compensation and medical treatment. They vowed to mount to bigger protest tomorrow.
Many victims say they have Received no compensation nearly two years after the world’s worst industrial accident, in which gas leaked from a pesticides plant in this central Indian city on December 3, 1984, killing 2,000 people and injuring hundreds of thousands more,
Today’s demonstration, organized by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, was to press the government of Madhya Pradesh state to provide better medical aid and disburse promised payments of 1,500 rupees (about 120 dollars) to each affected family.
A state official told reporters, “So far 39,000 families have been given the ex-gratia grant … and very shortly disbursement will re~ start in which nearly 50,000 families will be covered”.
But the demonstrators, who were prevented by a police cordon from reaching the state Chief Minister’s house and were formally charged under TIC order act before being released, said they planned to return in greater force tomorrow.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 3, 1986
