The five women survivors fasting since November 10 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, have broken their waterless fast.The women, along with about 200 people present, have been protesting for additional compensation for the survivs well as a revision of figures of death and injury caused by the gas disaster in the Curative petition filed by the central government for additional compensation from Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.Along with the waterless fast and dharna, a mass fax action was conducted yesterday and today, directed at the PMO and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The faxes from supporters all over the world urged the Prime Minister and the Minsiter of Chemicals and Fertilizers to accept the two demands unequivocally. Two meetings were held, on the evenings of November 13 and 14, between the representatives of the protest and the Secretary of the Ministry.
The Minister Ananth Kumar joined the second meeting today and heard the demands carefully. He accepted the two demands and offered full assurance that the figures of death and extent of injury figures will be revised on the basis of data from hospital records and the scientific reports of the Indian Council of Medical Research. The Minister also assured that following the revision of figures, the curative petition will be amended and an application will be filed by the Central Government for urgent hearing. Responding to the demand for additional compensation for all survivors, the Minister assured that this too shall be done on the basis of the revised figures.The representatives joined the protestors around 7:30pm today and delivered the message of the Minister and the Secretary to the survivors and others present at the protest site.
