The Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984 – which killed around 20,000 people at the time and continues to affect the health and lives of survivors – has been completely omitted from the agenda of the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections on November 17.
The decision of the Election Commission to declare the results on December 3, the anniversary of the horrifying man-made disaster, has brought the apathy shown towards the victims by political parties, government organs and even judiciary into sharp focus.
Outlook’s Abhik Bhattacharya talked to activists of various survivor groups in Bhopal, who said declaring the results on Dec. 3 amounted to an insult to the victims’ memory as the victorious party would launch celebrations across Bhopal. The activists have urged the EC to change the date of counting and warned of protests against the decision.