Vizag gas leak: South Korean NGO seeks criminal charges against LG Chem CEO

Demonstration in Seoul against LG Chem on July 14

By Our Representative
The South Korea-based NGO Centre for Environment and Health has demanded that the country’s LG Chem should take full responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people, including children aged 6 to 10, following gas leak at its plant in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. The gas leak took place took place on May 7 at the LG Polymer, owned by LG Chem, South Korea.
Also wanting the company to fully compensate to the 585 persons who were taken ill, as also the “huge damage" to crops, soil and water contamination and losses of numerous domestic animals and cattle, the NGO said in a statement, not just the local director of LG Chem's India plant, but also the chief executive officer of LG Chem Korea headquarters, the safety officer, and the overseas factory officer, apart from other directors, should be charged with “civil and criminal responsibility.”
Insisting that LG Chem’s “apology statement” and “promise” to do their best to respond to the damages and communicate transparently has not gone far enough, the NGO said, the company “has not announced the cause of the accident, the countermeasures for damages, and liability for more than two months.”
“In the early stage of the accident, LG Headquarters CEO Hak-cheol Shin reportedly planned to go to India to oversee what had happened, but lowered the level and sent instead eight junior personnel”, the statement said, adding, “Local residents in India expected the LG Headquarters support team to actively respond to the damages, including finding and supporting the deceased family and assisting victims in hospital treatment.”

Comments

Will official Modi invitation to Pope include itinerary of meeting Manipur Christians, too?

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* Few will not remember Judas Iscariot and the role he played in the betrayal of Jesus! For those who don’t know or don’t remember, these passages from Sacred Scripture will help put things in perspective: "And while they were eating, he said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.' They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, 'Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?' Jesus replied, 'The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray from Sacred Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.' Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, 'Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?' Jesus answered, 'You have said so.' (Mt. 26: 21-25)

RSS supremo Deoras 'supported' Emergency, but Indira, Sanjay Gandhi 'didn't respond'

Indira Gandhi, Balasaheb Deoras By Shamsul Islam* National Emergency was imposed on the country by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25-26, 1975, and it lasted for 19 months. This period is considered as ''dark times' for Indian democratic polity. Indira Gandhi claimed that due to Jaiprakash Narayan's call to the armed forces to disobey the 'illegal' orders of Congress rulers had created a situation of anarchy and there was danger to the existence of Indian Republic so there was no alternative but to impose Emergency under article 352 of the Constitution.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Amidst climate of hate, none cares to remember VP Singh, not even his family

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* It was former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh's birthday on June 25. He would have turned 93 on this day. A man of great idealism and conviction, VP changed the politics of power in India that became more inclusive in terms of participation and representation of the marginalised in our highest decision making bodies.

Manipur's Meira Paibis: Inter-sectional activism, regional bias, media misconstruction

By Biswanath Sinha* The women led movement in India is a diverse and multifaceted phenomenon that reflects the country's vast cultural, social, and political landscape. One of the most distinctive and influential women's organizations in this tapestry is the Meira Paibi of Manipur. Known as the "torchbearers," Meira (lights/torch) Paibi (holder/bearer) carved out a unique space in the annals of women's activism in India.

Architects, planners, designers discuss impact of climate change on infrastructure

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava* The School of Architecture and Planning at the Woxsen University, Telengana, organized a conference on Architecture & Design of Built Environment (ADoBE) on 6-7th June 2024 at the Indian Institute of Technology, IIT-Hyderabad. The larger theme of the ADoBE’24 pivoted on ‘Cities Embracing Inclusivity’.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Search This Blog