After the gruelling, seven-hour long grilling at the hands of US senators, BP chief executive Tony Hayward might have thought for a moment, 'Warren Anderson had it so easy after Bhopal Gas Tragedy. God I wish that oil spill had happened somewhere in the Indian Ocean or Bay of Bengal'.
Following the oil spill off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the US government has been making sure that oil giant pays up for the catastrophe. Eleven people were killed and millions of gallons of oil are still flowing out from the rig. The company has already spent over a billion dollars for clean-up work and has announced a compensation package of 20 billion dollars. And this is just the beginning as a long-winding litigation process is sure to follow.
Compare this situation with the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984. The death toll is more than 15,000 clubbed with the misery caused due the pollutants that still contaminate the soil and water. For the past 26 years, the victims and their relatives have been fighting for justice with little or no results. The recent ruling on this case by the Magistrate's Court in Bhopal has added insult to the victims' decades-long pain. The eight accused were sentenced to two years in prison and Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) was slapped a measly fine of five lakh rupees.
The only compensation that the Indian government could negotiate with Union Carbide was 438million dollars, a pittance compared to what BP is being made to spend.
While, Hayward had to face the wrath of the US senators, the then Indian government, led by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was busy making a safe passage for former chairman of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, to escape to America.
Even though it has been said that Anderson was let off owing to US pressure, the attitude of the Indian government to the tragedy was more callous. The primary responsibility of the government is to protect its people and not safeguarding the interests of a wealthy corporate backed by the powerful nation. And it's clear our government's response to the catastrophe has been wanting.
Having said this, it is not to be denied that the US has double standards when it comes to the matters of corporate responsibility and liability. President Obama has been in his eloquent best while lambasting BP. But ironically, his government is pushing India to lower the nuclear liability cap. American governments have also been extremely protective about companies, including Union Carbide, when it comes to the same 'liabilities' they expect BP to follow.
Successive governments have never felt responsible for the loss of life and livelihood as well as the environmental impact caused by one of its corporate giants. It is time they opened eyes to the drastic effects of corporate greed and start considering the lives of people of other countries as equal as their's.
If America is trying to safeguard its interests, India should also be protecting its people's interests. We are growing up to be one of the biggest economies in the world and as we aspire to become a stronger nation the standards of safety should be at par with any developed nation. Bringing investment and development is necessary but that should be not at the cost of the safety of our people and environment.
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