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Chapter 9
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Amar, Victor, Adarsh, and Shakti got busy with their mission.
Yet the whole planet was abuzz with wars of one kind or the other. Thousands of ordinary people in armed forces and ordinary citizens of great number of countries were getting killed to satisfy the whims and fancies of few notoriously powerful goons legally and illegally holding top positions of governments, corporations, and fanatic groups. 1% was bossing over the rest 99%. One of the 99% was an ordinary worker of Universal Chemicals in a small town of Lohab in a developing country called Nuplace. Nuplace is located in the neighborhood of the country Desh. This ordinary worker felt irrepressibly suppressed under the control of top management of Universal Chemicals. And out of blue he emerged a leader of all the workers of Universal Chemicals and also the residents of Lohab.
Ironically and sadly he was branded as the person responsible for a war threatened by Unon on Nuplace. Uttam was his name. Uttam had lost his father and two brothers in the worst ever gas leakage disaster of Universal Chemicals, Lohab.
Within a month of that fateful day Uttam addressed a gathering of all those who were affected by the Universal Chemicals, Lohab disaster. He narrated the grim picture of the aftermath of the disaster at Universal Chemicals, Lohab to a massive gathering.
He said with his adrenaline pumping up, face reddened, “It’s time we strengthen our solidarity. We must fight as a single community. We must fight the culprits whose greed and xenophobic attitude have been the sole reason to kill or permanently disable the current generation and the subsequent generations of hundreds of thousands of workers, their family members, their friends, and other citizens in our town of Lohab. It’s the worst gas leakage tragedy our planet has seen till this day. The disaster has killed more people than what a war does in modern times. I see this disaster as a war on us by the company.”
An attendee in the audience asked, “Sir, can you tell us how many people were affected by the deadly poisonous gas that leaked from the factory of Universal Chemicals?”
Uttam replied, “For the past one month, immediately after the planet’s worst industrial tragedy, I along with other volunteers have been on the job of assessing the numbers. Our study shows that the poisonous gas not only affected the shift workers but the gas made way to every nook and corner of our town. Over 700,000 persons were affected. Around 10,000 people died due to direct attack of the gas within a couple of days. Another 10,000 died of the diseases caused by the gas.”
“What about the injuries, sir?” someone inquired.
“Around 680,000 persons have been injured. These injuries include partial as well as permanent injuries. The affected ones include around 200,000 children and 55,000 pregnant women. It is feared that the babies born to these women would have serious abnormalities. These abnormalities may even get passed on to next several generations. More than 10,000 cows, buffaloes, goats, and other animals died too. The waters of the lakes and rivers got contaminated and fish cannot be consumed.”
“We understand that the CEO of the company was here in our town when the disaster took place? I forget his name but I do remember it’s somewhat weird,” one more inquiry came from the gathering.
“Hardnuts is the CEO’s name. He is normally stationed at the company’s headquarters in Unon. He came here a few days before the disaster took place. He was here to take decisions on whether the plant should be stopped for a couple of months for a thorough maintenance. Our workers’ union has been demanding the shutdown. The local top management had refused. So we escalated the matter to our head office in Unon. We emphasized the danger of possible gas leakage and its fatal effects in case the plant was allowed to run in its existing condition. We gave a notice of a strike.”
“Is that the reason Hardnuts came running?”
“Yes. But he ruled out closing the factory for three months, the time required for total overhaul and reconditioning of the plant. He took this decision in consultation with the local bosses despite knowing that the plant stood at the brink of a colossal accident. They argued the company would lose a very significant share of business to its competitors if the plant closed for three months.”
“So why didn’t the workers go on strike?”
“Well, before they could go on strike, the accident took place. As you know the CEO Hardnuts was in town. He was sneakily driven away to a safe place and then allowed to fly back to his country under the instruction of Darpok our country’s president. We have proof to show that Hardnuts transferred a huge sum of money in Darpok’s private bank account for bestowing this favor.”
“We heard that the company is refusing to pay the compensation to the affected people.”
“They are willing to pay us only 6% of what we have claimed. Our incompetent and impotent government is sold out to them. Our judiciary is also sold out. The court has decreed 6%. The chief justice has been bribed by the company.”
“We don’t accept it. We will have to fight it out. Uttam sir, we are with you.”
The entire gathering chanted in chorus, “We are together in it. United we win. Let us fight it.”
Uttam said, “We will fight it. We need to form a core group of persons who will work closely with me.”
Instantly many persons of the gathering volunteered enthusiastically. Uttam enlisted ten of them immediately.
He told them, “I’m thankful for your overwhelming response. I look forward to work with all of you closely.”
Then as a group they negotiated with the local management, the head office as well as the governmental bigwigs of both the countries. The result was a big naught.
The group appealed to the president of Unon. The president Korruptkin refused to entertain them. He declared, “Hardnuts and his company are in the clear. They are absolutely innocent. Company’s local management, the workers, and the government of Nuplace are responsible for the disaster. We have an insider information claiming that it was an act of sabotage by Lohab workers.”
A few days passed.
Then a news item flashed repeatedly on the television screens stunned the whole planet one day. The news was:
“The two factories of Universal Chemicals, a prestigious multinational company of the powerful nation Unon were totally demolished due to several powerful blasts inside the premises of the factories.
Two bombs were thrown also at the company’s head quarters and the building has collapsed. Hundreds of workers and managers present in the factories and head office are feared dead.
The reasons for the utterly shocking incident are yet not known. Prima facie it seems to be an act of a deplorable sabotage. The political pundits see a connection between this and the Lohab gas leakage tragedy.
Korruptkin- the powerful president of the powerful nation of Unon- feels terribly humiliated. And now the latest update- he declared to bring to justice the culprits responsible for the heinous act.”
That evening Korruptkin addressed his countrymen. “Our intelligence informs us that a group of ex-workers of Universal Chemicals plant of Lohab in the underdeveloped country of Nuplace are behind the blasts. We requested Nuplace’s president Darpok to cooperate with us in pinning down the culprits. But the president refuses to cooperate for fear of getting dethroned by the people of his country in case he helps us. We have been humiliated in front of the entire humanity of the planet by Nuplace and its people. The culprits should be brought to justice. I am declaring a war on them. I need your understanding and pride.”
Thus another war was about to take place now on planet Berth with a potential of killing large numbers of people belonging to the 99% community.
On very next day of declaration of war by Korruptkin, a few more incidents of blasts in three factories and offices of a corporation in another country were reported by the press. It was reported that the blasts killed a large number of their workers and managers. The country was another powerful country Bigland.
A self-proclaimed group called “Fighter Revolutionaries of Economic Exploitation (FREE)” took responsibility of the blasts. It released an audio recording concerning the blasts in Unon and Bigland. The content of the audio was:
“The developed nations are exploiting the workers of developing and underdeveloped nations. They pay us meager wages as compared to what they might have to shell out if they had to manufacture the goods in their own countries by their own people. We do not receive any medical benefits and many other facilities specified by the industrial laws. Also the companies do not provide safe working conditions and no compensation is provided to the victims of accidents taking place in the plants. We have suffered enough. Now we are out to teach them a lesson for being smart. Be ready to face more of such punishments in many more countries whose corporate sector is sucking our blood by throwing peanuts at us.”
Governments of Unon and Bigland published a list of suspects. Uttam of Nuplace- the activist of Lohab gas leakage disaster- topped the list of suspects. But by now Uttam had disappeared in thin air. No one knew his whereabouts. Search teams of Unon and Bigland could not locate him.
“We heard that the company is refusing to pay the compensation to the affected people.”
“They are willing to pay us only 6% of what we have claimed. Our incompetent and impotent government is sold out to them. Our judiciary is also sold out. The court has decreed 6%. The chief justice has been bribed by the company.”
“We don’t accept it. We will have to fight it out. Uttam sir, we are with you.”
The entire gathering chanted in chorus, “We are together in it. United we win. Let us fight it.”
Uttam said, “We will fight it. We need to form a core group of persons who will work closely with me.”
Instantly many persons of the gathering volunteered enthusiastically. Uttam enlisted ten of them immediately.
He told them, “I’m thankful for your overwhelming response. I look forward to work with all of you closely.”
Then as a group they negotiated with the local management, the head office as well as the governmental bigwigs of both the countries. The result was a big naught.
The group appealed to the president of Unon. The president Korruptkin refused to entertain them. He declared, “Hardnuts and his company are in the clear. They are absolutely innocent. Company’s local management, the workers, and the government of Nuplace are responsible for the disaster. We have an insider information claiming that it was an act of sabotage by Lohab workers.”
A few days passed.
Then a news item flashed repeatedly on the television screens stunned the whole planet one day. The news was:
“The two factories of Universal Chemicals, a prestigious multinational company of the powerful nation Unon were totally demolished due to several powerful blasts inside the premises of the factories.
Two bombs were thrown also at the company’s head quarters and the building has collapsed. Hundreds of workers and managers present in the factories and head office are feared dead.
The reasons for the utterly shocking incident are yet not known. Prima facie it seems to be an act of a deplorable sabotage. The political pundits see a connection between this and the Lohab gas leakage tragedy.
Korruptkin- the powerful president of the powerful nation of Unon- feels terribly humiliated. And now the latest update- he declared to bring to justice the culprits responsible for the heinous act.”
That evening Korruptkin addressed his countrymen. “Our intelligence informs us that a group of ex-workers of Universal Chemicals plant of Lohab in the underdeveloped country of Nuplace are behind the blasts. We requested Nuplace’s president Darpok to cooperate with us in pinning down the culprits. But the president refuses to cooperate for fear of getting dethroned by the people of his country in case he helps us. We have been humiliated in front of the entire humanity of the planet by Nuplace and its people. The culprits should be brought to justice. I am declaring a war on them. I need your understanding and pride.”
Thus another war was about to take place now on planet Berth with a potential of killing large numbers of people belonging to the 99% community.
On very next day of declaration of war by Korruptkin, a few more incidents of blasts in three factories and offices of a corporation in another country were reported by the press. It was reported that the blasts killed a large number of their workers and managers. The country was another powerful country Bigland.
A self-proclaimed group called “Fighter Revolutionaries of Economic Exploitation (FREE)” took responsibility of the blasts. It released an audio recording concerning the blasts in Unon and Bigland. The content of the audio was:
“The developed nations are exploiting the workers of developing and underdeveloped nations. They pay us meager wages as compared to what they might have to shell out if they had to manufacture the goods in their own countries by their own people. We do not receive any medical benefits and many other facilities specified by the industrial laws. Also the companies do not provide safe working conditions and no compensation is provided to the victims of accidents taking place in the plants. We have suffered enough. Now we are out to teach them a lesson for being smart. Be ready to face more of such punishments in many more countries whose corporate sector is sucking our blood by throwing peanuts at us.”
Governments of Unon and Bigland published a list of suspects. Uttam of Nuplace- the activist of Lohab gas leakage disaster- topped the list of suspects. But by now Uttam had disappeared in thin air. No one knew his whereabouts. Search teams of Unon and Bigland could not locate him.
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