Vinod Raina

Asia-Pacific Movement for Debt and Development

Jubileesouth - Asia/Pacific & Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS)

July 2002

On that cold night of Dec 3, 1984, yes, nearly twenty years ago, poisonous gases escaped from the pesticide plant of the transnational company Union Carbide in the city of Bhopal, where I live. The impact was catastrophic and genocidal. Men, women and children, unaware of what was making them choke and fight for life-saving breath fled their warm beds in panic, running distraught, hopefully away from the murderous poisons that had clouded the skies. In an hour or so, over 3000 of them could not outrun the deathly poisons, and they collapsed all over the city, in a grotesque dance of death that had no dignity. And hundreds of thousands from a city of million plus vanished from the city, retching, coughing and mortally scared. They escaped death, but the poisons have made life hell for them, and they continue to suffer, and die from the effects even now. Over 20,000 have died till now.

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