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Indian Olympic Association asks IOC to remove Dow as sponsor
Tuesday December 20, 2011 07:19:04 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi:
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), in a strongly worded letter
Tuesday, asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to
reconsider 2012 London Games' sponsorship deal with Dow Chemicals,
which bought the tainted Union Carbide blamed for the 1984 Bhopal
gas tragedy.
IOA's acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra, in a letter to IOC
president Jacques Rogge, said: "I am writing you this letter on
behalf of IOA to convey the deep feeling of hurt of millions of
people not only in India but all over the world regarding Dow
Chemicals' being sponsors of the London Games.
"IOA has received representations from several former Olympians,
hundreds of suffering people, NGO's and agencies working among the
thousands of Gas victims, protesting the London Games Organisers
link with Dow Chemicals. Dow has bought US chemical firm Union
Carbide, whose plant was responsible for the gas tragedy that took
place in Bhopal in 1984 killing and disabling thousands in one of
worst Industrial disasters in recent history."
A copy of the letter has also been sent to London Olympics
organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe. Under heavy protest
from India, Dow Chemicals has reportedly agreed to remove it logo
from London's Olympic stadium but Malhotra in his letter said that
India was not satisfied.
"A false campaign has been launched by the Dow Chemicals' saying
that matter has been settled. It is not correct. The case is still
pending in the court and no final compensation has been made. IOA
feels that Dow Chemicals should be removed as the sponsors of the
Games. Because the very presence of this company is against the
spirit of the Olympic ideals," Malhotra said.
The victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy have been demanding that India
should skip the Olympics due to the involvement of Dow Chemicals,
which bought the tainted Union Carbide blamed for the 1984 Bhopal
gas tragedy.
The leakage of tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas on the night of
Dec 2-3, 1984, from the Union Carbide's pesticides plant killed
several thousand people besides affecting hundreds of thousands of
people. Government records show 5,295 deaths, besides 4,902 with
permanent disability, 35,455 with temporary disability and 527,894
with minor injuries. Union Carbide was later bought by Dow
Chemicals.
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