In a major victory to activists fighting for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, the Centre on Wednesday agreed to submit a 'no objection' statement to an American court for directing Union Carbide to clean up the contamination caused by its abandoned factory in the Madhya Pradesh capital.

The decision to convey its views to the New York District Court before the deadline of June 30 came on the sixth day of an indefinite fast in Delhi by activists Satinath Sarangi, Rasheeda Bee and Shahid Noor.

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"The no objection statement brings us one step closer to a historic order by the US court directing Union Carbide to clean up the toxins in and around the abandoned factory," Sarangi told reporters after he and the other two activists ended their hunger strike.

"Such an order will not only uphold the 'Polluter Pays' principle but also set a precedent about holding MNCs accountable in their home country for their actions abroad," he said.

External Links:
International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal
Warren Anderson found