The Chingari Trust will back livelihood-generation projects for women victims

BHOPAL: The Chingari Trust, a non-government organisation devoted to the cause of Bhopal gas victims, announced on Saturday that it would be setting up a programme for inviting specialist doctors from all over the country to the State capital to identify children of gas or contamination-exposed parents with congenital abnormalities and suggest the best course of their treatment.

Chingari Trust was formed with the donation of $ 125,000, which was received as prize money by Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla, president and secretary of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh (BGPMSKS).

They were awarded the Goldman Environment Prize in 2004 in recognition of their leadership and ability to charter the course of the struggle for the cause of the gas victims of Bhopal.

The prize of $ 125,000 or Rs. 58 lakhs was given personally to the two leaders.

Though both women were the sole bread earners in their families, they chose to donate the entire prize money to set up the Chingari Trust.

Chingari is a non-profit, non-political registered charitable organisation working on various issues linked with the Union Carbide disaster of 1984.

It was set up in March 2005 with an all-woman Board of Trustees to promote activities that uphold the rights of the people poisoned by Union Carbide and through contamination of ground water.

The Chingari Trust Chairperson, Suroopa Mukherjee, and the two Managing Trustees, Rashida and Champa Devi, announced here on Saturday that besides working for the children of gas-exposed parents, who are suffering from congenital abnormalities, the Trust will also support livelihood generation projects for and by women victims.

The Trust has also instituted an award of Rs. 50, 000 to be given every year to a woman who has successfully fought corporate crime at the grassroots level.

Sunil Kumar Verma, 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his modest home in Bhopal, the capital of India's Madhya Pradesh state, on the evening of 26 July.

He was wearing his favourite T-shirt. It said in bold relief "No more Bhopals".

Sunil was a survivor of the 1984 Union Carbide gas leak - and a victim, suffering serious mental illness in the 16 years since the disaster.

The end came without him realising his dream of seeing anyone brought to justice over the world's worst industrial accident.

Satyanath Sarangi, president of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) and a close friend, says that Sunil felt strongly that people responsible for the gas disaster should be punished.

In an interview in 1985, Sunil said: "The people must know who was responsible for the gas disaster - who killed their loved ones?

And those who are found responsible must be hanged. What is the use of all the money if those who have killed so many go scot-free?"

No one had faced trial over the leak by the time Sunil hanged himself.

Difficult survival

Born in Bhopal in 1972, the son of a carpenter, Sunil was living with his family in JP Nagar, just across from the plant run by Union Carbide, now a subsidiary of Dow Chemicals, when the gas leak occurred.

They all escaped in panic as the poisonous cloud of methyl isocyanate gas descended on the slum settlement in Madhya Pradesh's state capital in the middle of the freezing night.

All the family members got separated. With his eyes burning and his chest exploding with pain, Sunil managed to board a bus that took him to Hoshangabad, about 70km away.

He lost consciousness and was taken to the district hospital.

He returned to Bhopal a week later to find both his parents, three sisters and two brothers dead.

His younger siblings, a sister aged 10 and a brother of two-and-half, were the only survivors. The 13-year-old Sunil was now the head of the family.

Some relatives took the children to Lucknow but soon the initial sympathy of the relatives wore off and they faced regular abuse.

The three came back to their home in Bhopal and survived on the generosity of their neighbours, who were mostly Muslims.

Relentless campaigner

Sunil's sister and brother moved to the SOS village - a shelter set up by a charity to house orphans of the gas tragedy - while Sunil began his struggle for survival.

Sunil Kumar Verma campaigning for Bhopal gas victims
Sunil started campaigning for victims' rights from a young age

He managed to study into his mid teens and his home soon became a safe haven for children who were physically abused by parents and orphans of the tragedy.

Sunil would open the philosophical discussion saying, "Is it better to have parents that beat you, or to have no parents at all?" says Mr Sarangi, remembering Sunil's strong views.

At the age of 13, Sunil got involved in campaigning for the rights of gas victims. In 1987, he formed "Children Against Carbide", which got together orphans and youngsters affected by the disaster.

In 1986 Sunil, a petitioner in the Bhopal civil suit, was sent to New York by the Indian government to the US to testify in the gas tragedy case before Judge John Keenan.

He also attended every anniversary rally of the tragedy, even when his condition worsened, said Mr Sarangi.

Generous friend

In 1989 Sunil toured the world to garner support against the settlement agreed between the Indian Government and Union Carbide.

He was arrested in Houston for trying to deliver an environmental report during Union Carbide's annual meeting. He was released after hundreds of people called the city's mayor to protest against his arrest .

He also toured India, speaking for those in need. Sunil, along with orphans of the tragedy, sat on a hunger strike in Bhopal for six days in 2003, demanding the jobs promised by the government for survivors of the tragedy.

Although Sunil earned money in small lending and retailing ventures but was known for his generosity, says Shahid Noor, Sunil's friend.

"When the government finally granted him a house as part of a gas relief scheme, he gifted his home in JP Nagar, free of cost, to a homeless friend. And, whatever, I am today is due to the encouragement of Sunil", says Shahid .

Sunil had an exceptionally sharp mind and an uncanny memory and scanned newspapers for information about the Bhopal case.

He also worked as a volunteer at the Sambhavna Trust Clinic for survivors and even though he was unemployed at that time, he refused to take money for his work.

Sanjay, Sunil's younger brother who graduated from college this year, says, "I reached here with the support and blessings of Sunil."

"Though himself unmarried, he was very keen that his younger brother should find a suitable wife", says Irshad, Sunil's close friend and the last person to see him alive.

Sunil's memory

In March 1997 Sunil started "hearing voices in his head". He also suffered from insomnia and imagined people were plotting to kill him. By June 1997 his condition worsened and he often ran away from home.

He had also attempted suicide several times. He was finally diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia - a mental illness which affected many gas survivors - and began treatment.

When he hanged himself, he left a note saying he was committing suicide not because he was mentally unsound but with all his wits about him.

After Sunil's death many people from Holland, US, South Africa and other countries have come forward to raise funds in his memory to establish a mental health centre, says Mr Sarangi.

A victim of the 1984 Bhopal chemical disaster, who became a leading campaigner for justice for the victims of the deadly gas leak, has committed suicide.

Sunil Kumar died in his home in Bhopal on the evening of 26 July. He was 34 years old. He was found hanging from a ceiling fan, wearing a T-shirt that said "No More Bhopals".

He was a survivor of the gas disaster at the Union Carbide plant, which caused up to10,000 deaths within three days. More than 20,000 have now died as a resultof the gas released.

Two of Mr Kumar's brothers, three of his sisters, and both his parents died in one night. He was just 13. He learned of their deaths when he saw their photos stuck on a wall. He claimed not to have cried then, or at any time after. "There were so many corpses. After a while, the heart becomes quiet."

In an interview in 1985, Mr Kumar, who later founded the group Children Against Carbide, said: "The people must know who was responsible for the disaster. And those who are found responsible must be hanged."

Although the Indian government and Union Carbide, now owned by Dow Chemical, reached a "settlement" in 1989, the terms were never accepted by the victims of the disaster. No criminal charges have been successfully brought against any company official.

Mr Kumar toured the world in 1989 to garner support against the "settlement". He was arrested in Houston for trying to deliver a report to a Union Carbide annual meeting.

Satinath Saranji, a fellow campaigner in Bhopal, said: "While those responsible for the disaster have still not faced trial, Sunil was the one who was finally hanged - by his own hand."

A victim of the 1984 Bhopal chemical disaster, who became a leading campaigner for justice for the victims of the deadly gas leak, has committed suicide.

Sunil Kumar died in his home in Bhopal on the evening of 26 July. He was 34 years old. He was found hanging from a ceiling fan, wearing a T-shirt that said "No More Bhopals".

He was a survivor of the gas disaster at the Union Carbide plant, which caused up to10,000 deaths within three days. More than 20,000 have now died as a resultof the gas released.

Two of Mr Kumar's brothers, three of his sisters, and both his parents died in one night. He was just 13. He learned of their deaths when he saw their photos stuck on a wall. He claimed not to have cried then, or at any time after. "There were so many corpses. After a while, the heart becomes quiet."

In an interview in 1985, Mr Kumar, who later founded the group Children Against Carbide, said: "The people must know who was responsible for the disaster. And those who are found responsible must be hanged."

Although the Indian government and Union Carbide, now owned by Dow Chemical, reached a "settlement" in 1989, the terms were never accepted by the victims of the disaster. No criminal charges have been successfully brought against any company official.

Mr Kumar toured the world in 1989 to garner support against the "settlement". He was arrested in Houston for trying to deliver a report to a Union Carbide annual meeting.

Satinath Saranji, a fellow campaigner in Bhopal, said: "While those responsible for the disaster have still not faced trial, Sunil was the one who was finally hanged - by his own hand."

An NGO is rehabilitating victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy by producing hand-woven materials that are chemical-free.

PICTURES: A. M. FARUQUI

Dyeing cloth with natural colours obtained from vegetables, flowers and minerals.

"Henceforth you'll have the courage to say no to harmful chemical colours."

READ in isolation, these lines would appear to be a slogan from environmental activists against the use of chemicals. This comes, however, from a group of women who were victims of the gas tragedy that struck Bhopal on December 3, 1984. What is more, these women practise what they preach: they produce hand-spun fabric printed with vegetable and other natural dyes. Mahashakti Seva Kendra is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that was set up in 1993 to help those affected by the gas tragedy and the riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid (in Ayodhya) in 1992. It has become a successful entrepreneurial venture, producing dress materials and other handicraft items. Named after the goddess of power, it has 500 women members and has trained thousands of women in hand-block printing, kalamkari printing, embroidery, stitching, jute-bag making and more. Those working at the Kendra earn Rs.1,000-1,500 a month. The money may appear modest, but what they actually gain is the confidence to stand on their own feet again, that too in the face of a calamity.

"I lost my eldest daughter, who was eight years old. My husband and two sons became seriously ill. I had nothing to support my family as my husband was in no condition to work. Then this work came along and slowly life started moving ahead once again," says Chitra Chauhan, who is in charge of one of the work sheds. Chauhan, who has been associated with the NGO since its inception, says the Kendra has given a new meaning to her life.

Members of Mahashakti Seva Kendra hand print.

Similar is the story of Suraiya, the treasurer, who lost her husband in the disaster and whose eight children fell ill. Suraiya had to suffer doubly because her family was the victim of the1992 riots as well. "As it was we were fighting for our lives after the gas tragedy, but the riots broke our back. It was then that I got associated with the Kendra, which helped me to stand on my feet again," says Suraiya. She has now married off three of her daughters; the youngest one is too ill to be married. Three of her sons manage to earn a living despite being affected by the gas tragedy, but the fourth is totally incapacitated.

"When I started working for the gas victims, I realised they needed to start some income-generating programmes because financial help was few and far between, and most of the families had lost their bread-earning members. It was then that the idea of setting up this NGO was born," said Indira Iyengar, patron of the Kendra. She was inspired by Mother Teresa, with whom she has worked.

"Mother Teresa taught me the dignity of human life. She taught me the value of doing something for someone without expecting anything in return. Seeing the misery of these people I wanted to start something that could help them financially," she said.

Hand embroider home-spun fabrics.

When Indira Iyengar, president of the Madhya Pradesh Christian Association and a member of the State Minorities Commission, was trying to set up this NGO in 1992, riots broke out and several people who were still reeling under the impact of the gas tragedy became its worst casualties.

With help from the State and Central governments, she established four sheds at Dwarka Nagar in Bhopal, barely 1.5 kilometres from the Union Carbide factory, the source of the lethal methylisocynate gas. She set up a block-printing unit and persuaded Rahim Gutti, a national award-winning block-printing artist who specialises in vegetable and natural dyes, to train the women.

With 150 women trained, the unit started functioning. At present, they produce enough fabric to make their venture modestly viable. Their dress materials are not only popular with young women of Bhopal; the Madhya Pradesh State Textile Corporation is also a regular customer.

However, they still do not have proper marketing facilities and expect the State or Central government to extend a helping hand. "If only we can get an outlet in the city here, or in Delhi, it will go a long way in promoting our NGO," says Indira Iyengar.

This venture not only promotes a social cause, but it also draws people's attention to the hazardous impact of chemicals and persuades them to avoid synthetic dyes. "All our raw material is naturally produced from flowers, roots, herbs, mud, oil or plants. When cloths coloured with these vegetable dyes are washed in the river, it does not pollute the groundwater. Our system is totally environment friendly," says Chitra with great pride.

"This is perhaps the only successful story of rehabilitation of the gas victims. Elsewhere, only dalals [brokers] have made money in the name of the rehabilitation of [Bhopal] gas victims. What is more, this is a programme that aims at empowering the women. I want these women to fight against injustice, I want them to be self-dependent," Indira Iyengar says with determination.

August 25, 2004

The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) launches Project Chirag, an income-generation initiative for young survivors of the world's worst industrial disaster. The ICJB has decided on having "hope" and "rebuilding" as the key themes for the 20th anniversary of the gas disaster and this is the first such initiative. The project will be carried out by Bhopal ki Aawaaz, an organization of people orphaned by the disaster and a constituent of ICJB.

A first in Bhopal, this project is also the first initiative of the Solar Generation, a youth campaign launched by Greenpeace India. As part of the project, Bhopal ki Aawaaz has received 30 photovoltaic solar lanterns and its members have received training in using them for income generation. The three members of Bhopal ki Aawaaz currently running the business of lending out solar lanterns to vegetable vendors are Shahid Noor, Sanjay Verma and Sadanand.

The solar lamps are charged during the day and rented out in the evening to vendors in Chhola bazaar for Rs. 8 (£0.10p) for each lamp for 5 hours. Apart from generating Rs 900 (£11) per month for each of the youngsters in the initial phase of the business, this venture will help replace petromax and lead-acid battery lanterns with clean, renewable energy based lanterns. Sunmin, a Chennai-based organisation is already running a similar income-generation project successfully on Chennai beaches.

"Our group was formed to give voice to the demands of the orphans of the disaster and income generation is a key demand for us. We are confident that we will be able to run this environment friendly income generation project and some of us will be able to earn some steady income. More importantly, it will give us the wherewithal to continue with our struggle for economic rehabilitation by the government." said Shahid Noor of Bhopal ki Aawaaz.

According to Vinuta Gopal of Greenpeace-India. "Though the solar lantern project is small compared to the enormity of the problem of joblessness among the survivors, the Chirag project will hopefully make the state and central governments take note of the urgent need for economic rehabilitation."

Champa Devi Shukla, Secretary of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh and winner of the International Goldman Environmental Prize for 2004, said "We have made plans for several other income generating environment-friendly projects and are currently gathering resources and setting up the infrastructure for their implementation. Hopefully, by December we will have more good news for Bhopal survivors."

Rashida Bee, Champa Devi Shukla, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh
Shahid Noor, Bhopal ki Aawaaz
Prakash Tripathi, Vinuta Gopal, Greenpeace-India
Syed M Irfan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha
Rachna Dhingra, Satinath Sarangi, Bhopal Group for Information and Action

Contact:
1. House No. 12, Gali No. 2, Near Naseer Masjid, Bag Umrao Dulha, Bhopal Tel: 3132298, 3132959
2. B-2 / 302, Sheetal Nagar, Berasia Road, Bhopal. Tel : 9826167369