The turn of events after the criminal court’s verdict in the Bhopal gas tragedy case is a farce of a kind we alone are uniquely capable of enacting as a nation. It reinforces our belief that politicians are uncaring leaders with a great talent to escape responsibility and action, and reveals once again our society’s inability to debate meaningfully.

Let’s look at the “outrage” expressed at the fact that an American, Warren Anderson, the chairman of Union Carbide when the horrendous gas leak occurred 26 years ago. I have the greatest empathy for victims of the gas tragedy and honestly believe they have been the most wronged people in post-Independent India (read my previous posting). But it is foolhardy to imagine that getting Anderson back after 26 years would do anything to ease their pain – physical or psychological.

For 26 years, leaders of all political parties never bothered to seriously explore the possibility of extraditing Anderson. Not after he flew away from the country, apparently with the help of the highest in the land. Not after the criminal court reduced the charges from culpable homicide to negligent homicide. And, surely many knew long before the verdict was delivered, that on the reduced charges, the most punishment any judge can hand out was two years’ imprisonment. But now, in the immediate aftermath of the verdict, everybody is pretending as if a great wrong has occurred when it was merely imminent.

Is this the time to pursue Anderson’s extradition when he is 90? Is there any serious chance that he can be extradited? Absolutely none. By the time we get past the Americans’ stonewalling, and that in itself is a big ‘if,’ Anderson would have kicked the bucket. Can we have some honest leader stand up and say, like Obama did in another context: Yes, we screwed up. And also give the lie to false hopes of getting Anderson extradited.

 Finally, I would urge everybody to consider this question: Have we punished all the Andersons in our own country?

I will give two examples. In the Uphaar theatre fire, the top owners escaped the culpable homicide law and were sentenced on the lesser charge of negligent homicide. We have countless other cases of criminal negligence of safety laws and most get away scot-free. I would be curious to see what happens to owners of the Carlton Towers in Bangalore where a recent fire claimed several lives because the fire exits were all blocked and fire-fighting equipment simply were not available in most parts of the building.

We will be better off making sure no company – Indian or foreign – ever gets away with such negligence. We will be better off making sure no court or law, citing the letter of the law and ignoring its spirit, hands out sentences that make mockery of justice. And finally, we will be better off not leaving anything in the hands of corrupt and amoral politicians.