Sign in
☰
People MPsHouse of LordsGovernmentOppositionPartiesCommittees Votes Commons votesLords votesVotes by issueTopicsStats & rankingsParliament in numbers Legislation BillsEarly day motionsPetitions Elections Election resultsConstituenciesWho is my MP? Scotland OverviewMSPsScottish GovernmentVotesBillsMotionsCommitteesConstituencies & regionsElections Search Sign in

Motion · S6M-02385 · 1 Dec 2021

37th Anniversary of Bhopal Disaster

Lodged by Gordon MacDonald Standard Motion 23 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament solemnly notes the 37th anniversary of the Bhopal Disaster, which took place on 3 December 1984 and thanks the Trade Union Friends of Bhopal in organising a commemoration of the disaster that was held in Edinburgh, on 4 December 2021; understands that this is widely acknowledged as the world’s worst industrial disaster, killing 22,000 people and leaving over 100,000 disabled; further understands that the disaster was caused by a Methyl Isocyanate gas leak incident on the night of 2 to 3 December 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited (now the Dow Chemical Company) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India; supports the demands of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, which include compensation for injury and ill health for survivors and children born since, calls for those responsible for the disaster to be held to account through criminal justice proceedings, improved medical research into the effects of Methyl Isocyanate gas, medical care for survivors and those exposed to contaminated water from the factory site, funding for the creation of jobs for survivors and their families, pensions to those widowed by the disaster, and a comprehensive clean-up of the site and surrounding area; notes that advocacy groups report that gas-exposed survivors are six times more prone to COVID-19 infections and account for 40% of the total COVID-19 deaths in Bhopal, compared to only 17% of the whole population, and calls on the US and Indian governments to meet the survivors’ demands.

Supporters (23)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.