After years of protesting against Dow Chemical Company, Bhopal gas victims have found an unlikely ally -- the shareholders of the company. Dow Chemicals has bought Union Carbide, the company that owned the plant, which caused the leak, which led to the disaster.
At the company's annual meeting, shareholders told chief executive officer Andrew Liveris and the management to take new initiatives on compensating victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak.
Shareholders feel that Dow's reputation and business in India was threatened. Showing respect for human rights would be a good business decision, and Dow should, therefore, undertake new initiatives to address the needs of survivors. They asked the company to produce a report listing the new initiatives taken by the management to address environmental, health and social concerns of the victims.
The move has pleased activists, who are working for the cause of gas survivors in Bhopal.
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