Document wDZ8RqJ2NQr0Z4Q3w3b31YaOB

FILE NAME: Shree Digvijay (SDV) DATE: 1981 Apr 15 DOC#: SDV023 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Rakesh Madan RE Writing Account of Visit to the Hindustan Perodo Plant iC I 1y N , N fu' d 5' ' C r-1 ! T *. 9fs/MAGDIV G Sa,tcht>-<oid 01-404 0/00 Rakesh Madan B-100 Greater Kailash I, New Delhi 11004 8 , India. 15th A p r il, 198I Dear Rakesh Madan, Barry Castleman has written to me suggesting that you could write us an account of your visit to the Hindustan Perodo plant. I presume you know the background to the tale so far, but I enclose copies of New Scientist with Barry's original article and the subsequent correspondence, as well as a further letter we have received direct from the General Manager of the company. I would like you to write a maximum of 1000 words (for which we can offer 80). I do not yet know what form the finished piece would take,.so I suggest you write assuming that it will be a news story - i.e. as concisely as possible with as much eye-witness account as possible. Would you be willing to let us use your name over the piece? We would appreciate the article as soon as possible since the sooner it appears, the more people will remember the original article and correspondence. I hope you can undertake the article for us and look forward to seeing it. Yours sincerely, Lawrence McGinty News Editor. Enc. PHONE CABLE Telex 11^ r- r- u i b v i j a Y C C M t N T C O M P A N Y H:7264-66-6C~f7 B ic T W ," 3 T W 1 T e / e . i A c'H t L T O S ! R O D U C T E D IV IS IO N ) 'JA M C i MENT' AHMEDAEAD L O X U f 012-345 5 j Q C I i\l LTD p O M G V IJA YN A G A AH ViE D AE AD E f`247( 'IN D IA ; REF. A p r i l 06, 1981 h ic h a e l Kenward, Esq The E d it o r , New S c i e n t i s t , Commonweal th H o u s e , 1" 19, New L x f o r d S t r e e t , LONDON UC1 A 1NG Dear S ir , 1 -7 ^ Ue have been r a t h e r a s t o n is h e d to read Mr. B a r r y C a s tle m a n 's a r t i c l e on o u r U n i t S h r e e D i g v i j a y Cement F a c t o r y ( A s b e s t o s n e 9 ^ K S r i U1S1Dn\ a t , D i 9 V i j a y n a 9 a r Ahmedabad in yo u r is s u e o f 2 6 t h F e b r u a r y , 1981 u n d e r h e a d i n g ' D o u b l e S t a n d a r d s A s b e s t o s i n I n d i a . To t h e b e s t of o u r k n o w l e d g e , n e i t h e r r. B a rry Castlem an nor any a u th o ris e d r e p r e s e n t a t iv e of your jo u r n a l v is it e d our p la n t. The a l l e g a t i o n s made i n t h e r e p o r t a r e f a r from t r u t h . As an e m p l o y e r , we a r e c o n s c i o u s of i n d u s t r i a l h y g i e n e and we p r o v i d e a d e q u a t e w o r k in g c o n d i t i o n s t o s a f e g u a r d h e a l t h o f o ur com m unity. The Company has p r o v id e d i n t h e f a c t o r y expensive Dust E x tra c tio n equipments. Besides th is , s e v e ra l o^her m easures have been ta k e n and a r e a ls o in th e n r n r c w f i m p l e m e n t a t i o n and we f e e l t h a t ' t h e c md i t i o n ^ d e s l; r ib T d by you a r e r a t h e r im a g in a r y . U o rk e rs a r e p e r i o d i c a l l y examined by D o c t o r s and d u r in g 18 y e a r s o f o u r o p e r a t i o n , we h a v e h a r d l y fo u n d a c a s e . a s a l a r m i n _an^ s e n o u s as m a g n i f i e d i n y o u r a r t i c l e , w hich, can be a t t r i b u t e d t o th e w orking c o n d it io n s in our p la n t . iM*** L o c a l Go v e r n m e n t F a c t o ry I n s p e c t o r s , O f f i c i a l s and D o c t o r s ?H r i Td ^ a l l o y i s l t o u r P l a n t t o check w h e t h e r we c o n p l y w i t h th e In d ia n R u le s & R e g u la t io n s or n o t. T h e r e f o r e , s u c h an a r t i c l e m a magazine l i k e yours has not only estran ged our f e e i i n g s and t h a t o f t h e e n t i r e In d ia n A sb esto s I n d u s t r y , D U L hhfallv/ep aa ll sc on rc4-h=sa1l l1e nr*,rg-w-ie d +t-hu e_ l u_ t. h. a. ie___n___ii.i c _i t.y^^ n o r m s , " r u l f f i ^ a nd r e g u l a t i o n s of S t a t e and C e n t r a l Governm ent o f I n d i a . You w i l l p l e a s e a p p r e c i a t e t h a t im pro vem en t i n any I n d u s t r y i s a c o n t i n u o u s p r o c e s s , and we a r e q u i t e a l i v e and c o n s c i o u s of our r e s p o n s i b i l i t y in im p lem en tin g in n o v a t io n s and im pro vements f o r t h e b e t t e r m e n t o f th e workmen and com m unity. Ue a r e s u r p r i s e d t h a t w i t h o u t 't a k i n g t h e t r o u b l e t o a t l e a s t ^check w i t h us t h e t r u t h , such1 w ild a l l e g a t i o n s c o u ld be made ( . a g a i n s t us and a m i s l e a d i n g a r t i c l e sh o u ld f i n d a p l a c e and p a t r o n a g e by a m a g a z in e l i k e y o u r s . We must s a y , y o u h a v e been more th a n u n f a i r t o u s , n / s . J o h n s r t a n v i l l e, U . S . A , o u r C o l l a b o r a t o r s and to t h e e n t i r e A s b e s to s I n d u s t r y i n g e n e r a l , and to In d ia in p a r t ic u la r . 'hanking you, Yours f a i t h f u l l y , fo r S h re e D ig v ija y Cement C o .L td . REGD. OFFICE : DIGVIJAYGRAM, VIA JAMNAGAR. ( S . R . b h a .j d a r i ) GEN.MANAGER. _ " .-