After a hard round of debate, the Student Government of The University of Texas at Austin voted yes on resolution AR26, "In support of students at The University of Texas at Austin who are seeking a meeting with the President of The University of Texas at Austin to write a letter to Dow Chemical Company to address its responsibility towards the Bhopal disaster and ask Dow Chemical Company to spend matching funds for the environmental clean-up in Bhopal".

The resolution, sponsored by Association for India's Development (AID), was supported by almost twenty student groups and signed for by more than 1000 University of Texas students and 50 faculty members. It cites the company's refusal to accept any outstanding responsibilities of its subsidiary, Union Carbide, in Bhopal, India.

On December 3rd, 1984, a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, leaked 27 tons of methyl isocyanate, a deadly gas. None of the plant's safety systems were operational, allowing the gas to spread throughout the city. Roughly half a million people were exposed to the gas and 15,000 have died to date as a result of the exposure. More than 120,000 people still suffer from such ailments as blindness, lung fibrosis, long term breathlessness, chronic gastrointestinal symptoms and gynecological disorders. It is estimated that 30 people die every month because of exposure related illnesses.  Because Union Carbide fled India after the disaster and has failed to appear in the court of law, Union Carbide and its then CEO Warren Anderson have been declared as "fugitives from justice" by the courts in India. In 2001, Dow Chemical Corporation purchased Union Carbide, thereby acquiring its assets and liabilities. However, Dow has been consistently refusing to submit its subsidiary for trial, thus harboring absconders. Dow has also been refusing to disclose the composition of the gas leak, information that could potentially save many lives.

The site where the factory once operated has never been properly cleaned up and the large amount of chemicals still present at the site continue to pollute the soil and the ground water in the area. About 20,000 people living near the site are exposed to the toxins at the abandoned factory. Studies have clearly shown dangerous levels of lead and mercury in the breast milk of mothers in that area. However, Dow has denied any responsibility and refuses clean up the site.

Bhopal might be the world's worst chemical disaster, but Dow harbors many other "Bhopals" in its closet through its legacy of human rights and environmental violations. The dioxin contamination in Michigan; mass sterility because of Nemagon; Agent Orange; carcinogenic exposures in Mission, Texas; and numerous other Bhopals. Denial of liability for Bhopal also brings forth a case of double standards as Dow set aside $2.2 billion for Union Carbide's asbestos liabilities, yet refuses to accept Union Carbide's liabilities in Bhopal, India.

By passing the resolution, Student Government recognizes that up till now, Dow has failed to respect a UT core value, "responsibility". The Student Government will also work with the authors of the resolution to meet with the President of The University of Texas at Austin to discuss the issue, and will request him to write a letter to Dow, stating our position and asking Dow to submit Union Carbide to criminal trial in India, thus taking steps toward remediation of the contamination at the Bhopal site. The resolution also asks The University to urge Dow to spend an equal amount of money on Bhopal clean up as much as it gives to UT.

A similar resolution that was introduced to the Student Government on January 31st lost narrowly after a five hour debate. The support for Bhopal gained a lot of momentum and strength thereafter. "Many now realize the enormity of Bhopal tragedy and how the companies responsible are able to go scot-free even after 22 years of human suffering. The University of Texas's students have now made a powerful statement that such irresponsibility will not go unchecked", the authors of the resolution said of the victory.