Poisonous gas released into the air, killing more than 5,000 instantly. Half a million survivors scarred or disabled for the rest of their lives. The soil and water tainted by toxic heavy metals without hope of decontamination. This is the devastation left in the wake of the disastrous Dec. 23, 1984 Union Carbide methyl isocynate gas leak in the city of Bhopal, India, which left the area and its residents devastated and struggling to pick up the shards of their ruined lives. The accident, often attributed to a blend of corporate greed and recklessness, was the topic of Saturday's presentation and forum at RISD called "Learning from Bhopal."
The event showcased experts from multiple disciplines, including Gary Cohen of the Environmental Health Fund, who has been working to bring justice to the people of Bhopal for the past 17 years; Satinath Sarangi, a trustee of the Sambhavna Clinic in Bhopal; and Assistant Professor of International Studies Simone Pulver of the Watson Institute.
Cohen, who spoke passionately on the disaster, said the Bhopal incident was "the Hiroshima of the chemical industry" and called the city's plight "a story of dark truths and people's aspirations." According to Cohen, even 20 years after the Union Carbide incident, the perpetrators of the accident continue to evade prosecution while refusing to take responsibility for their negligence. The people of Bhopal are still without justice, Cohen said, and to date the survivors have received only $1,000 each as compensation for their suffering because of political red tape.
Sarangi spoke of his intimate involvement in the long-term recovery efforts and his role in the establishment of the Sambhavna Clinic. "Samb-havna" is the Sanskrit and Hindi word for "possibility," which reflects the people's optimism that it is possible for their lives to improve, he said. Sarangi also told of the blowback from the disaster, which he said manifests itself in a rise of cancer rates in the area, tuberculosis, reproductive disorders and birth defects. He told the audience that a corrupt government in collusion with the Dow Chemical Company - which acquired Union Carbide in August 1999 - is turning a blind eye to the horror and doing its utmost to downplay the facts, while pharmaceutical levia-thans like Glaxo, Pfizer and Aventis continually peddle ineffective drugs to an already impoverished populace.
However, in the midst of the multitudes of negatives, both Cohen and Sarangi both mentioned hope. Cohen and Sarangi said people are beginning to get back on their feet by helping each other, building clinics and turning to the traditional holistic healing method known as Ayurveda, which employs herbs, yoga and art.
Cohen ended the forum on a somber note, saying that another Bhopal could easily happen anywhere in the world as long as such dangerous chemicals are used and profit is prioritized over human life. All people are trapped "in a global web of poison," he said, and it is the obligation of all to remain vigilant and mindful and to remember the tragic lessons taught by Bhopal.
