18/06/2010
New Delhi: Union Carbide Chief Warren Anderson had been assured a "safe passage" before he came to India in the aftermath of the deadly 1984 gas leakage incident, the then Foreign Secretary M K Rasgotra disclosed here on Thursday.
The then chairman of Union Carbide Warren Anderson wanted to come to India to 'see' the tragedy in Bhopal and offer condolences. But he wanted an assurance that he would not be arrested. This assurance came from the Rajiv Gandhi government.
Anderson had requested a "safe passage" through the US Embassy, Rasgotra told in an interview to a news channel. According to the channel, Rasgotra said the then Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi was subsequently told about granting Anderson a safe passage, to which he did not object.
"He (Gordon Streeb, the then deputy chief of the US mission here) said Anderson wanted to come here. There was a tragic situation and he wanted to see things himself, wanted to offer his condolences but he would come only if granted safe passage," Rasgotra said.
The Arjun Singh government initially arrested Anderson without knowing of the 'assurances' given by the Rajiv Gandhi government.
"I said, I cannot assure of safe passage. I would have to consult concerned authorities and I will get back to you.....I got in touch with the Home Ministry and I got in touch with the Cabinet Secretary. I told them what Streeb had asked for and I waited for the instructions," the former diplomat said.
Rasgotra also maintained that he got the instructions the "same day". Terming the request for safe passage by Anderson as "understandable", Rasgotra also described his arrest as "wrong."
It was the home ministry under P V Narasimha Rao that took the decision to give an assurance to Anderson. The question being asked now is: Was Rajiv Gandhi aware of this.
"It was quite understandable request. This man wanted to come, express his condolences and sorrow. I thought it was quite understandable and if he wanted to come, we should let him come.......He was given safe passage and the arrest was wrong. And the authorities, I think, realised that was a bad thing to do and they released him," he said.
Asked if the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Arjun Singh was unaware of the safe passage which resulted in Anderson's brief arrest in Bhopal, Rasgotra said "Did Arjun Singh really arrest him or the administrative authorities or police arrested. I cannot say."
Source: The Indian Express
K.Venugopal
#1
Friday, 18 June 2010 10:39:53
It was absolutely a sell-out to have assured Anderson a safe passage. Any bureaucrat or politician worth his salt had no right to say anything beyond maintaining that the law would take its own course. Is there any provision in the constitution that assures anyone a safe passage beyond the orbit of law? And why was Anderson's visit in the first place important? He probably came to tell his partner Keshub Mahindra to destroy certain documents so that Union Carbide is not compromised. Maybe it was his visit and secret deal with Keshub Mahindra which enabled Union Carbide to get away with a paltry out-of-court settlement. Those who sold out the interests of the Indian people should be thoroughly exposed.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4032732&page=0
New Delhi: Union Carbide Chief Warren Anderson had been assured a "safe passage" before he came to India in the aftermath of the deadly 1984 gas leakage incident, the then Foreign Secretary M K Rasgotra disclosed here on Thursday.
The then chairman of Union Carbide Warren Anderson wanted to come to India to 'see' the tragedy in Bhopal and offer condolences. But he wanted an assurance that he would not be arrested. This assurance came from the Rajiv Gandhi government.
Anderson had requested a "safe passage" through the US Embassy, Rasgotra told in an interview to a news channel. According to the channel, Rasgotra said the then Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi was subsequently told about granting Anderson a safe passage, to which he did not object.
"He (Gordon Streeb, the then deputy chief of the US mission here) said Anderson wanted to come here. There was a tragic situation and he wanted to see things himself, wanted to offer his condolences but he would come only if granted safe passage," Rasgotra said.
The Arjun Singh government initially arrested Anderson without knowing of the 'assurances' given by the Rajiv Gandhi government.
"I said, I cannot assure of safe passage. I would have to consult concerned authorities and I will get back to you.....I got in touch with the Home Ministry and I got in touch with the Cabinet Secretary. I told them what Streeb had asked for and I waited for the instructions," the former diplomat said.
Rasgotra also maintained that he got the instructions the "same day". Terming the request for safe passage by Anderson as "understandable", Rasgotra also described his arrest as "wrong."
It was the home ministry under P V Narasimha Rao that took the decision to give an assurance to Anderson. The question being asked now is: Was Rajiv Gandhi aware of this.
"It was quite understandable request. This man wanted to come, express his condolences and sorrow. I thought it was quite understandable and if he wanted to come, we should let him come.......He was given safe passage and the arrest was wrong. And the authorities, I think, realised that was a bad thing to do and they released him," he said.
Asked if the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Arjun Singh was unaware of the safe passage which resulted in Anderson's brief arrest in Bhopal, Rasgotra said "Did Arjun Singh really arrest him or the administrative authorities or police arrested. I cannot say."
Source: The Indian Express
K.Venugopal
#1
Friday, 18 June 2010 10:39:53
It was absolutely a sell-out to have assured Anderson a safe passage. Any bureaucrat or politician worth his salt had no right to say anything beyond maintaining that the law would take its own course. Is there any provision in the constitution that assures anyone a safe passage beyond the orbit of law? And why was Anderson's visit in the first place important? He probably came to tell his partner Keshub Mahindra to destroy certain documents so that Union Carbide is not compromised. Maybe it was his visit and secret deal with Keshub Mahindra which enabled Union Carbide to get away with a paltry out-of-court settlement. Those who sold out the interests of the Indian people should be thoroughly exposed.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4032732&page=0
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