Bhopal activist accuses multinationals of racism

The Bhopal gas leak disaster, which claimed thousands of lives, is just one of the examples of how big multinationals get away with their crimes in third world countries, Bhopal activist Satinath Sarangi told RT.

“Dow Chemicals and Union Carbide (American companies which, according to Saranghi, are responsible for the disaster) have been treating the people of Bhopal and the environment of Bhopal like it does not matter, like their lives do not cost as much as American lives and this is a very racist position,” he said. “There was one standard for the MIC plant in Institute, West Virginia, and a completely different standard and cutting of costs in the Bhopal plant. That is the reason why the disaster occurred in the first place.”

“[The Bhopal disaster] is relevant because what we see in our country, and most of the third world countries, is more and more hazardous corporations from OECD countries – that are locating themselves in these countries – are causing immense damage to the local environment, to the health and lives of local people and getting away with it. This is routine,” he added.

“There are slow and silent Bhopals all over India. And in most of these cases, in the overwhelmingly majority of these cases, the perpetrators go unpunished,” Satinath Sarangi pointed. “Unless justice is done in Bhopal, the lives and health of ordinary people will not be safe from the ravages of multinational corporations, who always put profit before the lives and health of ordinary people.”