London 2012 Olympics sponsor Dow Chemical points finger towards Indian government for Bhopal tragedy
The Dow Chemical Company, which is one of the official sponsors of the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games, has publically put the blame on the Indian government as well as an Indian manufacturing company for the tragic incident that took place in Bhopal
in 1984.
Dow Chemical has been under fire since the time that it shook hands on its partnership with the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games. The partnership has been criticized from various humanitarian quarters as Dow Chemical has been held responsible
for one of the worst industrial disasters that caused the deaths of several thousand local residents.
Dow Chemical is set to provide the LOCOG with a giant wrap that will encircle the Olympic Park during the time that the London 2012 Olympic Games stay in progress from July 27 until August 12.
The giant wrap that will surround the Olympic Park and will feature the logo of Dow Chemical is worth £7 million. Not only that, both the LOCOG as well as Dow Chemical will hold hands through the Olympic Movement that is a deal worth $ 100 million.
The vice president of Olympic operations for Dow Chemical, George Hamilton, expressed himself on the matter in the following manner, “If there is any questioning it has to be to the Indian government and why have they sat on their hands for 13 years? They
[the government] took back the land from Macleod Russel India specifically to remediate the land and it has done nothing. Now the government is seeking to attach Dow to financial liabilities and responsibilities, when to date every court has said you can’t
attach liability to a company that had no association...”
The Bhopal disaster took place because of a gas leak in a Union Carbide Corporation factory that is now owned by Dow Chemical. Several instantaneous deaths occurred on the spot but the after effects of the toxic gas continued to haunt the survivors who had
children born to them with birth defects. The Indian government as well as the Bhopal survivors have been asking for full monetary compensation from Dow Chemical.
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