Last blog post!
Here’s the installment from Bhopal:
Friday, November 29
After a long 14 hour train ride, we finally pulled into
Bhopal. Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh. If the name sounds familiar,
it’s probably because you’ve heard of the Bhopal Disaster. On the night of
December 3, 1984 a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal leaked for about 45
minutes releasing more than 30 tons of toxic gases into the air. This has been
the worst industrial disaster to date. The immediate death toll is estimated to
be between 8,000-10,000 within the first 72 hours. In the last two decades,
there has been an estimated 15,000-20,000 premature deaths due to the incident.
Unfortunately, the area around the plant had been used as a dumping ground for
hazardous materials, which then contaminated the groundwater. In 2001, Dow
Chemical bought Union Carbide absorbing all of the assets, but has refused to
assume the liabilities in India or clean up the toxic waste. Twenty-nine years
after the gas leak, residents of Bhopal are still suffering due to ongoing
contamination. Cancer and birth defects still remain a problem even among the
new generation.
For most of our stay in Bhopal we stayed at Sambhavna Trust
Clinic—an independent clinic provides free care to victims of the Bhopal
disaster. They use both Western medicine and Ayurveda to treat their patients.
Satyu (AKA Satinath Sarangi)—founder of the organization—introduced us to
Sambhavna and showed us around the facility.
Saturday, November 30
Before coming to India, I knew that I would fall ill at some
point. I had done so well, but my time had come. I woke up feeling sick. I took
all sorts of medication to try and power through the day. In the morning we
went to an NGO called Chingari, which is a rehabilitation center for kids with
disabilities caused by either the Bhopal gas leak or water contamination.
Here’s a link to a blog that I wrote about the experience: http://sjpd2013.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/chingari/#comments
Unfortunately, I had to leave early on account of my feeling
very feverish. I went back and slept for a few hours. It was basically a
one-day flu. After lunch, we walked to the Union Carbide Factory, which is now
abandoned. It was haunting to be there, yet at the same time it didn’t feel
real. Also, I was still pretty sick so maybe that’s why.
Sunday, December 1
There was an optional activity of going to a lake and going
out of lunch. Coming off an illness, I chose to stay behind and watch movies.
Not a bad day.
Monday, December 2
For our morning session, we met with Satyu’s wife Rachna,
who is also a Bhopal activist. She talked about her life as an activist and
what she is working for. The goal is to stop the disaster before the 4th
decade. This means cleaning up of the factory, having Dow assume the liability,
and having better rehabilitation for the victims. She also mentioned the slogan
for Bhopal: “We all live in Bhopal.” There was nothing special about the Union
Carbide factory in Bhopal, in fact there are many more just like it all around
the world. There are slow and silent Bhopals happening to all of us.
Tuesday, December 3
We moved locations within Bhopal to a church on the other
side of town. This day marked the 29th anniversary of the Bhopal
disaster. We visited a tribal museum
during the first part of the day. Later that afternoon, a group of us went to a
home and school for kids with special needs nearby to where we were staying. It
was a huge facility complete with a dining hall, classrooms, a playground, and
a gym with workout machines and gymnastics equipment. It was very impressive.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see any of the kids.
Wednesday, December 4
We traveled back to Bangalore via flight.
Since the field visit we have been working on assignments,
essays, and final projects. I’ve started packing my things and will be back in
the US on Friday
Thanks to everyone who has read by blogs this semester!
Emma
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