New Delhi, 2008 June 10, IRNA
 
Man Booker short-listed Indra Sinha joined activists who will sit on an indefinite hunger strike spread across 18 countries today to support the cause of Bhopal gas tragedy victims.

Sinha, who won the nomination for his fiction "Animal`s People", joined the protesters in France where he will be sitting on a hunger strike for "at least next one week", the agitator's spokesperson said here.

Nine survivors and other activists started their agitation at Janatar Mantar in Central Delhi Monday while the supporters in 18 other countries will begin their hunger strike simultaneously demanding comprehensive rehabilitation plans for the gas tragedy victims.

In a precursor to the global hunger strike, around 40 agitators Monday staged a protest in front of the Prime Minister`s office here.

"We came here to get all of our demands met. On supply of water, the Prime Minister has told us that we can continue drinking poisoned water at least till November after which clean water would be given to only those who can pay user fees," alleged Meera More, who will start her hunger strike here, zeenews portal reported here.

The protesters are demanding legal action against Union Carbide and Dow Chemical, prime accused in the gas tragedy, along with empowerment of the commission on Bhopal for implementing the rehabilitation project.

The Bhopal disaster was an industrial disaster that occurred in Bhopal, India, resulting in the death of more than 3,000 people, according to the Indian Supreme Court.

A more probable figure is that 8,000 died within two weeks, and it is estimated that the same number have since died from gas related diseases. However, testimonies from doctors who provided medical assistance during the tragedy claim over 15,000 were dead in the first month alone.

The incident took place in the early hours of the morning of December 3, 1984, in the heart of the city of Bhopal in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. A Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant released 40 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, killing approximately 3,800 people. Bhopal disaster is frequently cited as one of the world's worst industrial disasters.

The International Medical Commission on Bhopal was established in 1993 to respond to the disasters.

Today, more than 100,000 people have permanent injuries, light or severe. The groundwater around the plant area is contaminated, and the question of cleaning up the area is still unsolved.