CHENNAI: Raising their voice against the 2012 London Olympics sponsor Dow Chemical, MDMK leader Vaiko and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said on Saturday that India should threaten to boycott the Games till the organisers decided to do away with the company’s £7-million sponsorship. “Dow Chemical has inherited the toxic legacy of a company responsible for the death of thousands and for the severe impairment in lakhs of people,” said Vaiko, addressing a press meet here. Dow Chemical has bought Union Carbide, the firm blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. Stating that he had written to the Prime Minister to register his protest with the Olympic authorities, Vaiko accused Manmohan Singh of maintaining silence. “He gladly receives all letters, but refuses to act on any,” the MDMK leader quipped. Citing examples of how countries in the West boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980s in protest agianst Soviet Union and how African nations did so in the South Africa Games in 1976 raising their voice against apartheid, Vaiko said India must do the same to register protest.Thirumavalavan said the sponsorship was an insult on India by a foreign firm.So far, 22 former Olympians have protested against the Dow’s sponsorship.
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