India: Raise Dow's Olympic Sponsorship with IOC - Sports Ministry to IOA

 

NEW DELHI (NNN-AGENCIES) -- With the Dow Chemicals sponsorship of next year's London Olympics causing outrage among Bhopal gas tragedy victims, the Sports Ministry on Monday asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to raise the issue with the International Olympic Committee.

In a letter addressed to IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra, the Ministry expressed concern about the status of the contentious company as the official worldwide Olympic partner.

Dow Chemicals, which last year in July signed an agreement with the IOC, is the company that took over Union Carbide, responsible for the Bhopal gas tragedy that killed over 15,000 people and disabled thousands.

“The matter of Dow's liability, in respect of the Bhopal Gas tragedy victims is sub-judice and that the government of India has itself filed a suit against the company. Strong public sentiment exists in this matter and a number of eminent ex-Olympians have also raised concerns,” the letter stated.

“In the light of the above, and the fact that under the agreement between Dow and IOC, Dow will partner IOC and National Olympic Committees around the world, including India. We would advise the Indian Olympic Association to raise this matter immediately with the IOC while keeping the government informed,” it added.

Dow is an official worldwide Olympic partner and the official chemistry company for the Olympic movement upto 2020 Games and as part of their agreement with the IOC they will also partner the National Olympic Committees around the world, including India.

In an immediate response, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Monday said it will convey the concerns of the Bhopal gas disaster victims to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the sponsorship deal struck by Dow Chemicals with the 2012 London Games organisers.

IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra said former Olympians, IOA, and the government are not happy that the Games should be associated with any 'tainted' sponsors.

'We will discuss this issue in our executive board and general body meeting Dec 15,' Malhotra said in a statement here.

'We understand the feelings of the players, government and the NGOs. We will discuss it seriously and see what we can do at our level. We will also keep the government in the loop.'

'We will try to make the games organisers aware of the feeling of the people who have suffered in that tragedy. It is not only the Indians who are protesting this sponsorship; there has been an outcry against this world over from various NGO's and other bodies. It is no longer a local issue,' he said.

IOA has received representations from several former Olympians and NGOs protesting the London Games organisers' links with Dow Chemicals.

Dow Chemicals will foot the bill of a temporary decorative wrap over London's Olympic stadium and this move has created 'dismay amongst the victims and others who see Olympic Games as celebration of best of human spirits'.

'The IOA is bound by the Olympic charter and we will play our role within the framework of this charter,' Malhotra said.

The Bhopal victims and the activists fighting their cases are unhappy over the woefully inadequate quantum of compensation.

Union Carbide, the then owners of the pesticide plant, paid $470 million as settlement package for the victims in 1989 and 10 years later the unit was bought over by Dow Chemicals. Now the Indian government has demanded over $1 billion more as compensation.

There has been a wave of resentment in the country over Dow's sponsorship of the London Games. The state of Madhya Pradesh has demanded the Games boycott by India as in its capital Bhopal thousands died and thousands are still reeling under the after-effects of the disaster. -- NNN-AGENCIES