Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site crystal.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!uwvax!crystal!ravi From: ravi@crystal.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang.india Subject: News from India Message-ID: <429@crystal.UUCP> Date: Mon, 25-Mar-85 12:44:23 EST Article-I.D.: crystal.429 Posted: Mon Mar 25 12:44:23 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 28-Mar-85 01:12:22 EST Distribution: net Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept Lines: 153 This is from IITNET. I. The Union Carbide USA admitted on March 20 that the leak of the lethal gas Methyl Isocyanate at its subsidiary in Bhopal on December 3 stemmed from a variety of operating errors and procedural violations that would never be tolerated at the company's Institute plant in West Virginia. The company officials put the blame for the violations on the local Indian management of the subsidiary and even suggested that the accident might have been deliberately caused. In announcing the long-awaited results of its investigation of the leak which killed at least 2500 people and injured moer than a hundred thousand people in Bhopal, the Union Carbide management said that it appeared that the deadly reaction occurred when a large amount of water entered a tank storing Methyl Isocyanate. According to company officials, without six or more errors and violations, which essentially coincided with the violations reported in detailed articles in the New York Times two months ago, the entry of water would not by itself have had so drastic a result. The company officials also added that the Institute plant had more safeguards and proper operations. The company report said that water entered the storage tank "inadvertantly or deliberately " causing off the reaction. Union Carbide USA's president Warren Anderson suggested that one may have wanted to cause a small problem at the plant not realizing that a tragedy could result. According to other Carbide officials, they did not have any evidence of a plausible sabotage. Anderson also said that "compliance with safety procedures is a local issue. That plant should not have been operating without procedurs being followed." Anderson asserted that the Indian subsidiary bears legal responsibility for the accident. Union Carbide's chief investigator Ronald Van Mynen said that members of his team were shocked at the conditions of the Bhopal plant, including key equipment that was not functional. Its Vice President for health, safety, and environment, Jackson Browning said that a Bhopal-like situation is inconceivable at the Institute plant in Virginia. Indian government rejected Union Carbide's suggestion that the accident might have been deliberately caused. It called such a suggestion highly irresponsible. According to the press attache of the Indian government in Washington, "Our Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, is on record that we feel that this accident is the fault of the Union Carbide Corporation. We will give the reasons in court, if necessary." Chief Indian scientist and the director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Dr. S. Vardarajan who led the investigation on behalf ot the Indian government, stuck by his team's conclusion that a very small amount of water triggered the reaction. II. Akali Dal President Harchand Singh Longowal said in a news conference in Amritsar that the government must begin an inquiry into the riots and release those detained under the National Security Act or without charges. Longowal who was recently released by the central government, returned to Amritsar after staying in jail for over 9 months. Longowal accused the central government of trying to "finish" the Sikhs. He spoke bitterly of the November riots in which over 2500 people were killed in 3 days. Longowal also demanded the abolition of special coursts for alleged terrorists. III. In another development, Retired Army General and Bangladesh war hero Jagjit Singh Aurora along with other prominent Sikhs have announced the formation of a Sikh forum to preserve Sikh interests. In a letter to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the forum has asked an inquiry into the riots against Sikhs and to release Sikh youths arrested in the wake of the June attack on the Golden Temeple as a prelude to any negotiations on Punjab. The letter said, "It is absolutely essential that the growing sense of alienation of the Sikhs be effectively removed and a healing touch be provided by the government. Commenting on Rajiv Gandhi's statement that an inquiry into the Delhi riots would hurt the Sikhs more than anybody else, General Aurora said, "The government of the day must not shy away from doing justice. The Sikh community is not concerned about getting hurt but would like to know the exact reasons why it took place, what was the involvement, why was that involvement, the role of the politicians, police and the administration in the entire episode." He added, "to produce this excuse that it will hurt the Sikhs more is totally unconvincing." General Aurora criticized the government for not releasing other leaders including Siromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee G.S. Tohra and former chief minister Prakash Singh Badal. He called the government's moves splittist and mysterious. According to Aurora, Talwandi who espouses extremist views has been released whereas Tohra who is less of an extremist than Talwandi, has been kept in prison. IV. Those interested in seeing a judicial inquiry into the riots against Sikhs last November suffered a set back when the Delhi High Court ruled on March 21 that it would not order the government to institute such an inquiry because, the government had the prerogative to decide whether to appoint a commission of inquiry and the courts could neither advise nor interfere with its decisions in such matters. Dismissing a petition filed by a civil liberties organization People's Union for Democratic Rights, the judges also said in their decision, "it is not merely the duty of the majority to look after the minority but it is equally the duty of the minority to join the national mainstream and not isolate itself. It is equally the duty of the minority not to hurt the feelings of the majority in any place, in any part of the country." V. Union Finance Minister VP Singh presented the first budget of Rajiv Gandhi government to the parliament on March 16. The new budget introduces a series of measures to promote industrial growth by giving more concessions to big companies as well as by relaxing import restrictions. According to the finance minister, a list of industries would be notified for delicensing so that procedural delays can be reduced. The asset limit for companies under the Indian Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, which seeks to prevent excessive concentration of ownership of economic resources, has been hiked from Rs 200 million to Rs 1 billion. It was also announced that the corporate sector would be allowed to mobilize resources through the stock market to reduce its dependence on public financial institutions. Import duties on many items and components, especially in the electronics industry, will be reduced. A number of concessions for foreign multinationals were also announced. Corporate tax has also be reduced by 5%. The budget also announced individual tax concessions, including raising the exemption ceiling for personal taxation from Rs 15,000 to Rs 18000. The ceiling on wealth tax exemption has also been raised. The estate duty has been abolished. The budget proposed an increase in excise duty on a number of items for consumption including cement, and petrol. The budget has been welcome as imaginative, bold, as well as a departure from the past by businessmen and industrialists. Opposition parties have however criticised the government. A Janata leader commented that the multinationals can now enter through the front door in India. According to P. Upendra of the Telugu Desam party, the huge deficits resulting from concessions to corporations and rich would add to inflationary pressures and the basic problems of the economy in the spheres of employment generation and price reduction have not been touched. Earlier, Railways Minister Bansi Lal presented the railways budget in which a steep rise of 12.5% surcharge on all classes of passenger tickets has been proposed. The budget was presented 16 days late because according to Rajiv Gandhi, the new finance minister needed more time to prepare the budget. VII. According to the CBS, a Soviet diplomat was killed by two assasins on motorbikes in New Delhi last week. His wife and driver survived the attack. Delhi police is looking for assasins who could not be identified. Earlier, another Soviet diplomat was kidnapped from New Delhi. It is not clear whether the two incidents are related. Sources: India Now, India Abroad, the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor.