Click to play videoNew Delhi: In what is being seen as a victory of sorts for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the London Olympics will not carry any logo of Dow Chemicals.
The company has clarified that it was never branding the 2012 Games with its logo in the first place. It also rejected reports that it had bent under pressure from victims of the Bhopal tragedy saying sponsors are never allowed to brand the sporting event.
Dow says in its agreement the Olympics organisers were limited to branding five 'test panels' that were to be removed in the months before the Games and were not part of the final design.
In a statement, Dow Chemicals said, "Dow was in no way involved with the Bhopal tragedy or its aftermath. While it is understandable that human emotions evoked by the tragedy remain, allowing a misrepresentation of facts and to rewrite history as some are trying to do is not only wrong, but it sends an unfortunate and inaccurate message that obscures the facts rather than clarifies the Bhopal tragedy."
The campaigners called it a moral victory for the Bhopal gas tragedy victims
Bhopal activist Satinath Sarangi welcomed Dow's move to remove the logo from London Olympics. But said he wants India to boycott the Games until the company is dropped as a sponsor
"It is a small step and it is a small victory in our efforts to get Dow dumped by the London Organising Committee of the Olympics. We hope that the Indian government will now summon the political will to announce to the London Olympics Committee in clear terms that it will boycott the Olympics, so long as Dow Chemicals continues to remain a sponsor," said Sarangi.
Dow and the International Olympic Committee have been under pressure as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had expressed its displeasure over the partnership. Some UK parliamentarians also signed a petition asking London Olympics Association to drop Dow from sponsoring the Games.
Dow has been trying to look for long term sustained partnership with the Olympic Games but campaigners say they will keep the pressure so that the company is not associated with Olympics even during or after the London Games.
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