23 Years Without Justice

By Pragya Bhagat 5 March 2008 148 views No Comment

Imagine walking in grueling heat, your chappals worn down to a thin film of rubber, your heels blistered with sores. Imagine relying on the goodness of strangers to feed and house you, and resting under trucks because there is no shade elsewhere. Imagine walking eight hundred and fifty kilometers for the right to a decent life with proper medical care, clean drinking water, and a poison-free future. The survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster will be putting their lives at stake by marching from Bhopal to New Delhi, starting on February 20, 2008.

It was exactly two years ago that fifty-five survivors had undertaken this arduous task. In the spring of 2006, they had marched to the capital to meet with the Prime Minister. After many arrests, national media coverage, and a week long hunger fast, their plea was heard. The Prime Minister promised them clean drinking water, proper medical care, pension for widows and children orphaned by the disaster, and the inclusion of Bhopal in school curricula. The Bhopalis had to wait another year before the Madhya Pradesh government would begin taking any action.

It was in the spring of 2007 that I witnessed the Bhopali spirit first hand. Freshly graduated from college, I wanted to take a break before I devoted my life to “career” pursuits. Spending six months interning at the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal was the best decision of my life. I interacted first hand with the survivors, documented their stories, and participated in grassroots activism amongst hundreds and sometimes thousands of dedicated individuals. In my last month in Bhopal, I was the photographer-cum-blogger for the month long sit-in that took place in New Bhopal. The Bhopalis were asking the Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, to give them what had been promised a year ago. Thirty days of protesting and two weeks of hunger striking later, the state government acquiesced. But with every victory comes many more obstacles to overcome. The Bhopalis waited for justice. But twenty-three years is too long a time to wait. Now it is time to act.

The survivors of the world’s worst industrial disaster need your help to achieve their mission. Something as simple as sending a free fax to the Indian government will take two minutes of your time, but will apply the necessary pressure so that their voice may be heard at last. Visit www.bhopal.net or studentsforbhopal.org to send your fax today.

Photo Courtesy: Obbino