Life is too cheap in India – Bhopal gas tragedy proves it!
I was in my final year of studies for CA when the Bhopal gas tragedy occurred in December 1984. I distinctly remember articles warning of an impending tragedy as the company cocked an arrogant snoot at the Government and its officials. If you recollect in those days the Indian economy was not doing too well and we depended a lot on the benevolence of the US. We as a political class have always been used to doing “haanji” to our rulers – earlier the British as colonialists and subsequently to all the economic power houses who have wanted to milk India dry. We, unfortunately have always had extremely callous Governments which approach the people only during elections. With a teeming population with very little health care for the masses, a tragedy like Bhopal in any other country would have had the Government come down like a ton of bricks on the management of the entity, but our country behaved as gracious hosts and escorted the culprits out of the country. Just look at what Mr. Obama ...