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Journalism of Courage
The Bhopal disaster and its long aftermath has been a miasma of misinformation and rumour. Once again,the fate of Warren Anderson has become the focal point for all redress. As the Congress finds itself slammed from all sides for allowing,even facilitating Andersons getaway,its reflexes have been deeply problematic. Digvijay Singh leapt in first,claiming that US pressure had played a part in the release. Meanwhile,as some then in the CBI pointed at former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi,the party has been focused on limiting liability by blaming the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh,Arjun Singh. Now,Pranab Mukherjee bolsters that case against the state government,but defends the action saying that the law and order situation was bad and peoples frenzy was at a high,and adds that the government would push every possibility of getting Anderson extradited. Worse,the law minister flings blame at the judiciary for having sold the Bhopal victims down the river.
Torn between the needs for compensation and retribution,Bhopals biggest betrayals have been political. It was a case study in technical and social unpreparedness. After the event,law and public policy frameworks had to be fashioned on the fly,to deal with the gas disaster. Indias tort system and compensatory principles,class action rules,etc,have evolved after the encounter with American law that Bhopal triggered. Today,as India confronts its imperfect settlement and its compromises,it deserves an open and honest accounting of what transpired.
