« November 2007 | Main | February 2008 »
December 03, 2007
Bhopal Day program highlights pollution's effects on kids
Nity writes from Chennai...
Yesterday we had a very successful gathering at Nochhikuppam, the oldest fishing hamlet in Chennai, on the eve of the Bhopal disaster. The public meeting was markedly devoid of long speeches. Everything about Bhopal and its relevance today was conveyed to the audience, largely children and women from the fishing hamlet, through a variety of cultural programs.
The program was inaugurated by Kanchipuram Makkal Mandram Kanchipuram People's Forum) with a Parai-attam. Parai is a percussion instrument made of cowhide that is a cultural symbol of dalits in Tamilnadu. The Parai, historically associated with the Paraiyars and hakkiliyars, is now a symbol of dalit assertion for rights. The dance is almost martial, and attracted the police within minutes. More importantly, an almost empty community square was quickly filled to brimming by
Makkal Mandram's spectacular performance.
The parai-attam - a percussion instrument made of cowhide that is a symbol of dalit assertion for rights in Tamil Nadu
Kosi Mani of the Tamilnadu Fisherfolk Development Organisation gave the welcome speech where he linked the insensitivity marking the Government's stance on Bhopal to the ongoing push for elitist development which imperilled fisher and farming communities. He also condemned the presence of Dow Chemical in Chennai and called upon Chennai residents to evict Dow from Chennai.
Students from KRMM School reenacted the Bhopal tragedy focusing on how the tragedy was not an accident but a disaster by design. The story of Bhopal was retold by Youth for Social Change through a lyrical tradition called Villu Paattu -- a satirical rendition by a main singer assisted by prompters asking stupid questions.
Volunteers from the Chennai wing of Internaitonal Campaign for Justice in Bhopal conducted the Ettappan Awards Ceremony, where modern-day Ettappans were named and "honoured" for having betrayed the country for monetary considerations. Ettappan was an 18th century chieftain who did a deal with the British East India Company and betrayed Veerapandiya Kattabomman, another chieftain who refused to cede to the company's demands of land tax. Kattabomman was subsequently hanged by the Company, and became a legend and martyr inspiring thousands to join the struggle to oust the British from Indian soil. The awards were given not just to the regulars -- Manmohan Singh, Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani and P. Chidambaram -- but also to two brand-new candidates from Chennai. IIT Madras and Citi Center were honored with the "Fencesitters Award" -- IIT for not taking a stance on barring Dow from recruiting on-campus despite the request of students, and Citi Center for accommodating Dow's office in their plush mall.
Kanchi Makkal Mandram returned with a street play on America's imperial designs, covering the plight of children in Iraq, Bhopal, India. While highlighting the effects of pollution -- war-related or through American style industrialisation in various parts of the world -- the play also talked about the ramifications of imperialism on food sovereignity. But the Mandram reserved its strongest critique for Indians> Coincidentally, the key figures holding America's feet in the street play were Manmohan Singh, Mukesh Ambani and Ratan Tata.
Only two speeches were made, one by Sarnath of Dalit Panthers of India, and the other by Rupesh, a fisherman and resident of ochikuppam.
Press release issued yesterday can be found here
Posted by tim at 04:02 PM | Comments (0)
Rallies, candlelight processions taken out
MP Central Chronicle, December 3, 2007
Bhopal, Dec 2: Several rallies, candlelight processions, torch rallies were taken out on the eve of 23rd anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Disaster on Sunday.
A human chain for health care was also formed, where participants alleged Government for failing to provide proper medical care at Kamla Park. On the occasion effigy of Warren Anderson was also torched as a mark of protest.
The human chain was formed by activists of Sambhavna Trust Clinic and other organisations working among the survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
Later in the evening, activists took out one candlelight procession from New Market Top-n-Town area. The rally was followed from Ganesh Mandir, Chola, which culminated at the near the premises of Union Carbide Plant Factory.
In the rally, activists raised slogans and demanded justice for the victims. They charged on the State and Union Government for failing to give adequate medical aid to the victims of worlds greatest industrial disaster.
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, a organisation fighting for the rehabilitation of gas victims, also took out a torch rally from Yaadgaar-e-Shahjehani Park to Bhart Talkies on Sunday evening.
Addressing the gathering at Neelam Park, president of the Morcha, Balkrishna Namdeo alleged Union Government for giving shelter to the Dow Chemicals. He said the company is running away from its liabilities.
On the occasion he announced that 23rd anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy would be celebrated as 'Anti-Multinational Companies Day'.
The rally was attended by the widows of the husbands who lost life on the ill-fated interviening night of Dec 2:-3 when poisonous gas from Union Carbide Plant in 1984 leaked killing over 3,000 and affecting thousand others.
They later torched the effigy of Warren Anderson and Dow Chemicals at Lily Talkies.
They too were raising slogans against Dow Chemicals and Warren Anderson.
On Monday, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udhyog Sangathan would take out a rally from Lily Talkies. The rally will pass through Sultania Zanana Hospital, Chawni Bazaar, Ghoda Nakkas, Bus Stand, Chola to culminate at the Union Carbide Factory plant. At the ending point, tributes would be paid to the people who had lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas tragedy.
The Sambhawna Trust Clinic, addressed a press conference on Sunday.
According to the members of the Sambhavna Trust Clinic that provides free medical care to survivors of the December '84 Bhopal disaster, highlighted the need for setting up a National Commission to address the long term medical issues.
They claimed that their internationally published research has shown that children born after the disaster to gas exposed parents are also marked by poisons of Union Carbide.
'Bhopal victims will need specialized health care at least for the next thirty years. Setting up a National Commission focused on long term rehabilitation of the survivors and their next generation is a must' said Dr Mohammed Ali Qaiser, physician at the Clinic.
He said that the Sambhavna Trust Clinic has developed treatment protocols integrating Allopathy, Ayurveda, Panchakarma and Yoga. Results show it is possible to provide simple, safe, inexpensive and effective health care through a holistic approach." he said.
Dr Qaiser informed that there were more than 1,00, 000 chronically ill gas victims still need proper medical care. Expressing his concern at the sorry state of health care, he said that he comes across many cases where the gas victims have been harmed due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics, steroids and other toxic drugs at the government hospitals.
Ms Aziza Sultan, Community Health Worker at the Sambhavna Trust Clinic shared her experience of training community women in screening for cervical cancer. She said that through health education and involvement of the community, Sambhavna has been able to bring down the incidence of Tuberculosis and malaria in gas affected communities.
She bemoaned the complete complete absence of initiatives in community health work in the government system of health care of the Bhopal victims.
A member of the Steering Committee of the Clinic, Ms. Mahendra Soni said that there are 20, 000 patients registered for long term care. These include people affected by the gas disaster and those poisoned due to ground water contamination near the abandoned Union Carbide factory.
Referring to the six reports of the Supreme Court appointed Committee for monitoring health care of Bhopal victims, Ms. Rana Lodi, administrator of the Clinic, expressed concern that none of the recommendations of this Committee had been implemented by the state government.
Posted by tim at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)