EAS Sarma says that the government should make a sincere effort to stop Kalmadi from attending the Olympics. India would have gained global credibility by boycotting Olympics in the first instance, he feels

EAS Sarma, former secretary to the government of India, has appealed to the prime minister to protest and boycott upcoming London Olympics. In a letter, he said the organisers of the London Olympics have permitted Dow Chemicals to sponsor the games, despite the company's liability it inherited from Union Carbide and the Bhopal Gas tragedy.

The former secretary also asked the government to make sincere effort to stop Suresh Kalmadi, the prime accused in the Commonwealth Games scam, from attending the Olympics.

Here is the letter written by Mr Sarma...

Dear Dr Manmohan Singh,

Subject:- London Olympics- India should announce a total boycott

It is unfortunate that the organisers of the London Olympics should remain adamant about continuing Dow Chemicals, the infamous successor to Union Carbide, to continue as the sponsor of the Games. It is equally unfortunate that the organising committee should have the audacity to say that it was the Indians who should clean up Bhopal and Dow Chemicals had nothing to do with it. Perhaps some senior functionaries within your government should take the blame as it was they who facilitated Dow Chemicals to have its way in India in the first instance.

The Chief of the Ethics Committee of London Olympics, Meredith Alexander has quit on the Dow issue. Several British MPs have expressed their solidarity on this. It is the government that you head has so far maintained stoic silence! It is high time that the government takes the side of the Bhopal victims and their families for a change and announce a total boycott of the London Olympics. It will send the right message to the international community on the need to condemn corporate crimes as heinous as the one that was committed at Bhopal. If the government continues to maintain silence, it will indirectly subscribe to allowing corporate sins to be condoned. It will amount to a betrayal of the cause of the Bhopal victims.

Now, I understand that Suresh Kalmadi, a person who is responsible for bringing taint to Commonwealth Games, will be attending Olympics as a representative of India on International Olympic Committee (ICC). Does it not erode the credibility of India in the eyes of the rest of the world?

I request the government to make a sincere effort to stop Kalmadi from attending the Olympics.

I still feel that India would have gained global credibility by boycotting Olympics in the first instance.

I am addressing this letter to all political parties to do join the protesting British MPs and others.

Regards,

Yours sincerely,

EAS Sarma

Former Secretary to GOI

Visakhapatnam