Lok Sabha elections: Digvijaya's candidature brings a new ray of hope for gas-hit in Bhopal

BHOPAL: Every election brings a new ray of hope among a population of about 7 lakh people— the survivors of world’s biggest industrial catastrophe, the Bhopal Gas Disaster— who are dumped and forgotten, now.

Ironically, the gas victims being a dominant voter population in Bhopal Lok Sabha seat has never been able to make an impact on the outcome of ballot boxes. Issues of the gas-hit have remained unattended and now their medical and economic rehabilitation plans are virtually in doldrums.

With former chief minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh being named as Congress candidate from Bhopal seat, there is again hope among the surivours.

Digvijaya had squandered his goodwill among the gas-hit after he failed them in his two-terms as chief minister, gas activists said.

Still, most victims of the disaster are hoping that he would have learnt from his past mistakes and his stature as a senior leader would draw attention of the state and Union governments towards their grievances.

While the gas victims relentelessly struggled, there was little movement on addressing their grievances. The UPA government woke up to their woes once in 2010 for a brief period, forced by public outrage and media fury over a light sentence of only two years awarded to seven Union Carbide of India Ltd (UCIL) executives by the trial court in Bhopal. The uproar prompted UPA government to announce an extra package of Rs 1,700 crore for relief & rehabilitation of gas disaster survivors, but thereafter forgot about it.

Every time there is change of government at the state or the Centre, gas activists Shanti Devi or Hamida Bee and Champa Devi feel optimistic. “Digvijaya Singh is easily accessible and listens patiently unlike other leaders of his stature. As

Pradesh Congress Committee

(PCC) president in early 1990s or chief minister, at least he appeared to be sympathetic towards us. But, he too turned out to be like his predecessors,” they said.

Convener, BGPMUS, Abdul Jabbar, when asked why gas disaster survivors with a strength of over seven lakh voters, could never become a “pressure group” in Bhopal during elections, he said, “They are urban people who have political affiliations, and more often than not these take precedence over their identity as gas victims.”

Jabbar, however, said

Digvijaya

representing Bhopal would be favourable for gas disaster survivors.

Co-founder of Bhopal Group for Information & Action (BGIA), another NGO working among the gas disaster survivors,

Satinath Sarangi

however, appeared to be sceptic. “We do have hopes from Digvijaya Singh, but we had similar hopes from Kamal Nath and Arif Aqueel too. He knows our issues well, no doubt, but so does Arif Aqueel. We want someone who delivers.”

State Congress media vice-president, Abhay Dubey, when contacted for comments on the issue, said “Ticket to Digvijaya Singh is a guarantee of overall development of Bhopal.”

Digvijaya Singh could not be contacted over phone for his comments.