Bhopal Gas tragedy: A chronology of events After 26 years of the Bhopal Gas tragedy, the worlds worst industrial

disaster, the court today held all the eight accused guilty. Following is the chronology of the events: December 3, 1984: Toxic methyl isocyanate gas releases from Union Carbide India Ltds (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal killing about 15,000people and injuring at least five lakh others. Millions were left sick and the affected passed on the harmful effects of the gas to the next generations. December 4, 1984: Warren Anderson, the chairman of Union Carbide, is among nine people arrested. But he was freed on bail of $ 2,000, upon a promise to return.. February, 1985: Indian government files claim for $ 3.3 billion from Union Carbide in a US court. 1986: US District Court judge transfers all Bhopal litigation to India. February 1989: Indian government and Union Carbide strike an out-of-court deal and compensation of $ 470 million is given by Union Carbide. February - March 1989: Public protest against the unjust settlement followed by filing of a number of review and writ petitions against the settlement in the Supreme Court by the Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sangatan (BGPMUS), the Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangarsh Sahayog Samiti (BGPSSS) and other concerned groups. 1992: Part of $ 470 million is disbursed by the government among Bhopal gas victims. November 1994: Despite numerous petitions by survivors groups, the Supreme Court allows Union Carbide to sell stake in UCIL to McLeod Russell (India) Ltd of Calcutta. August 1999: Union Carbide announces merger with US-based Dow Chemicals. November 1999: International environment watchdog Greenpeace tests soil, groundwater and wells in and around the derelict Union Carbide factory and finds 12 volatile organic chemicals and mercury in quantities up to six million times higher than expected. February 2001: Union Carbide refuses to take responsibility for UCILs liabilities in India. January 2002: A study by Srishti and Toxics Links finds lead and mercury in breast milk of nursing mothers in communities near the plant.

June 2002: Bhopal gas tragedy survivors launch a protest in New Delhi when they hear the Indian government plans to drop charges against Anderson. October 2002: Protests to clean up former UCIL factory site in Bhopal that activists say contains thousands of tonnes of toxic waste. May 2003: The Indian government formally conveys its request for extradition of Anderson to the US.

March 2004: A US court says it could order Dow Chemicals to clean soil and ground water in the abandoned factory site if the Indian government provides a no objection certificate. The Indian government forwards the certificate to the United States. July 19, 2004: Indias Supreme Court orders the Central Bank to pay out more than 15 billion rupees, part of the original $ 470 million received as compensation kept in the account since 1992. October 25, 2004: Bhopal gas victims protest the failure of the government to pay victims compensation. June 7, 2010: All eight accused, including the then Chairman of Union Carbide Keshub Mahindra, in the Bhopal Gas disaster case convicted by a court. CONCLUSION Post the Bhopal verdict, corporate accountability is now under the scanner like never before. From ordinary citizens to Bollywood, there is widespread outrage that the company responsible for the worlds worst industrial disaster got away. There is a need for accountability at all levels, certainly at corporate levels. We should have clear rules and that Indian and foreign companies have to follow. Rules that are applied fair and square to everyone. The lack of a clear law has been a blessing in disguise for companies operating in India. The judiciary took 26 years to pronounce its verdict in the world's worst industrial disaster in which thousands died. And the law has treated it as an accident, sentencing the accused to two years in prison. Is law really the great civilizing machinery?

Too little, too late these words sum up the reaction to the Bhopal verdict. We need to ponder over the larger question that arises from the verdict.

The need for a separate law to deal with industrial disasters, which addresses issues of inquiry, compensation, conviction, punishment and liability, cannot be overemphasized. (Civil nuclear liability bill) The media and civil society should bring pressure on the government to learn from the mistakes of Bhopal.