Bhopal: The Other Story

I can only share my personal opinion and experience here. I am a part of Students for Bhopal and similar other groups which support Bhopal survivors. Though I haven't visited Bhopal personally, but interacted with the survivors and attended the more-than-6-months long dharna at the pavement of Jantar Mantar in Delhi. And I strongly object to the following line -

"His work in Bhopal is limited to an ayurvedic dispensary."

At cost of being sounded like a Satinath-fan (even though I am not) I have seen him fasting there, getting beaten by Police, fighting for justice, fighting for Bhopal like other survivors. And I do respect him as well as other Bhopal activists for their efforts.

It's nothing new that there are conflicts among the leaders of popular movements.

Although I do appreciate Mr Bal's effort to bring out work of Abdul Jabbar, in my humble opinion that can be done without disparaging others' efforts.

Thank you for this long-awaited article that says it like it is. Mr. Sarangi - who is not a Bhopal gas victim and arrived on the day after - has created almost a cult-like following in the West, who see no reason to look past him and his involvement in the Bhopal campaign when they engage.

There is NOTHING any individual or group can do in Bhopal on the issue without Mr. Sarangi's approval - a non-victim, I must add again.

He has a few close friends and admirers internationally who have helped to funnel large amount of funds to Mr. Sarangi and his cronies, who now do as they please, and completely undermine the genuine efforts of other such as Mr. Jabbar.

This, in my opinion, is the other Bhopal disaster.

And for the comment which talked about getting beat up by the police and hunger strike as major accomplishments, have you ever been to India? These are regular occurrences, sort of rituals, in the Indian activist landscape.

Nothing can be far from truth than the author's personal views of the dynamics.
I have met Rashida and Champa didi, two leading voices of the Bhopal Gas peedit mahila sangathan and other younger members of their organization, a few times between 2003-present, the first one being in 2003, when they visited the US to receive the Goldman environmental award. If their voices are being heard the world over, and their work is being recognised, it is because of one man's dedication to the cause, and that is of Sathinath sarangi. In ths past few years, I have helped orgaised several events hosting them in my university and on radio talk shows, to raise awareness of the ongoing saga in Bhopal, and in all these events, the Bhopal survivors tell their story via Satinath sarangi.

If the struggle of the Bhopalis is alive 25 shameless years later, and everyone around the world, including many in India, who otherwise wouldn't care a damn about what the Bhopalis are going thru, know about it, it is because of every Bhopali activists, which includes Satinath, Jabbar, Rashida, Champa, volunteers of Students for Bhopal and of ICJB around the world, who has been touched by the stories of the survivors.

While I empathise with the plight of the Bhopal survivors, who would be encountering media people at the end of the year, everyyear, articles like this "other story", literally undermine the struggles and the work of those who are trying to do something more meaningful and make a positive impact.
Not to mention that many of author's impressions about Satinath's ayurvedic hospital are plain wrong.
Please visit www.bhopal.org or www.studentsforbhopal for more information.

Hartosh Singh Bal is right to praise Abdul Jabbar’s tireless grassroots work with the victims of the gas disaster, but the tone of his article does no service to these survivors or the movement which has spent 25 years campaigning for justice. I am no doubt one of the non-Hindi speaking foreigners who he condemns, but I have been overseeing a research project into the survivors’ movement for the past two years, in collaboration with Hindi-speaking Indian researchers. Our book ‘Bhopal Survivors Speak’ includes interviews with survivors and activists from all the major campaigning groups (available from www.word-power.co.uk).

Jabbar has certainly provided immeasurable help to gas survivors through his persistent, even obstinate advocacy on behalf of others, his mobilisation of survivors and his provision of economic rehabilitation to younger victims. Satinath Sarangi on the other hand has communicated internationally and mobilised international support both practical and political, an essential response to what remains an international crime, with the culprits still at large in the form of US multinational Dow. Sarangi and his colleagues have also established a clinic which has treated over 20,000 gas victims with allopathic and ayurvedic medicines, have initiated innovative research into ill health and disabilities caused by the gas, empowered many activists including the young generation of survivors. They have raised the issue of water contamination up the agenda, ensuring that thousands of people living near to the Union Carbide factory now have access to uncontaminated water. In addition, other activists, supporters and solidarity groups, affiliated with neither Jabbar nor Sarangi have focused on other groups of survivors: the poorest dependent on state pension, the railway workers, disabled children, the unorganised sector, young workers, vulnerable groups and so on.

Anyone who has studied social movements knows that disagreements and divisions are not unique to Bhopal. The diversity which this brings can be a strength. However, the movement would be stronger in its long struggle for justice if it were more united and nobody is helped by journalists seeking to fuel divisions.

But what he said is also true if not in respect to Satinath then in respect to the general despicable trends/persons in the country who amass donations and wealth by begging all over the world in the name of such victims of disasters and on majority of occasions gulp themselves and grow fat and rich. Ours is a country full of hooligans of various types who would even cut a dead person's throat to snatch a necklace if it is otherwise not possible!