Bhopal verdict: Jittery US looks ahead to nuke liability bill

Washington: An anxious United States of America said Monday it hoped the Bhopal gas tragedy case would not affect its growing ties with India or impact the nuclear liability bill currently before the Indian parliament. It also expressed the hope that the verdict of a lower court in the matter ''brings some closure to the families of the victims of the tragedy.''

The verdict has already aroused widespread revulsion across the country and is perceived as a travesty of justice with American company officials, who were actually responsible for creating the situation that allowed the tragedy to come to pass, safe from the reach of law. The firm, Union Carbide, escaped criminal liability, and through another mysterious development ended up paying a meagre amount of compensation which also freed it of all liability in the matter.

It is widely acknowledged that that the officials of the American company Union Carbide took no care to ensure that safety procedures and technologies were put in place at the Indian plant located in Bhopal. A similar America–based plant of the company, on the other hand, had all safety features in place.

Through a mysterious chain of events, then chairman of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, was allowed to take flight from India just four days after the incident and is absconding ever since though an Indian warrant of arrest has been issued in his name.

The Americans have steadfastly refused to honour the arrest warrant.

The tragedy claimed atleast 15,000 lives, though this number is highly suspect as claims have been made that the number of dead far exceeded this number.