If I were a victim of the Bhopal gas victim, I would be ruing my fate just as I have been doing the past 25 years. We have been living agonizing lives. I have partially lost my vision; a sister has serious breathing difficulties; a friend has a liver problem; a neighbour’s son is handicapped, the list is endless. Warren Anderson is at fault, Union Carbide is at fault but the primary fault is that of the government.
Wasn’t it the government’s duty to secure justice for its innocent citizens terrorised by a killer gas? Do you know what the government’s idea of justice is ? A measly Rs. 12,000 -that is the compensation I got. A few trips to the doctor and that money vanished. Don’t be under the mistaken notion that if Union Carbide had handed over a higher compensation, we the victims would have also have received more. Our corrupt officers would ensure that very little reached me.
Instead of finding ways to assist the victims and clean up the place, our politicians are busy trying to fix the blame for Warren Anderson’s escape. As if his imprisonment would have improved my lot in any way. I continue to drink water contaminated by the gas. The very soil I live on, instead of providing nourishment, continues to kill me slowly. What has the government done? Nothing. Reports on studies conducted about the ill-effects of the gas leak were never published. Why? The government seemed to have been more bothered about the threat to the life of Warren Anderson. Never mind that we, the hapless victims are dying every day of our life.
Our socially responsible corporate entities who are given awards for good corporate governance, for best ethical practices, for being eco-friendly have surprisingly not spoken a word. When this is the case one can hardly expect better from foreign companies and foreign governments.
Mark my words. Unless the government passes stringent laws, unless it is careful while signing agreements like the Nuclear Liability Bill, unless proper safety measures are in place, tragedies even worse than Bhopal will occur.
As for myself, I just curse my luck that the tragedy which claimed my entire family spared my life, a life even worse than death.
Author: Pratibha Shenoy (Bangalore)
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