Our expression of solidarity with the struggles of fellow human beings goes a long way in keeping their fight alive. This was the central message that Nityanand (Nity) Jayaraman delivered, in the backdrop of the inauguration of the People’s Museum at Bhopal earlier this December. To those that might wonder why commemorate a museum for a still continuing fight for justice in Bhopal, Nity countered that disasters tend to become impersonal over time, settling into nameless, faceless statistics. It is the stories of the survivors that make it personal, though it is important that the stories be told by the people themselves; Not the Government; and certainly not the corporations involved. Hence, a museum that is owned by the survivors, currently housed in a modest 3 room structure.

A short video takes us through the three rooms of the museum: The first room houses photographs of the victims, some close up shots of their faces, and others in stark contrast are a mass of skeletal remains serving a chilling transition to tell us the scale of the incident. These stories are further personalized by victim’s possessions, treasured as a memory over all these years. A six year old victims’ sweater held on to by the mother till now, or a brand new saree that never had a chance to be worn as the husband passed away before he could see his wife wear it. The second room captures the spirit of the struggles of their survivors via photographs of posters, protests and slogans, and the the third room focuses on the impact on survivors health, the cost not just monetary of treatment and medication.

We seem to have learnt little from the Bhopal disaster whether
it be that of setting up a dangerous factory in a densely populated area, proper oversight of factories, or liability mechanisms including rehabilitation of those affected. Nity illustrated this through some of the recent causes he has been fighting for.

He explained how a 4000MW coal power plant is planned to be set up up in Cheyyur, a coastal area in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. The problem the area is protected by estuaries and mangroves that act as natural shock absorbers and support agriculture and fishing. The dunes in the coast block further encroachment of sand and saltwater and contribute to supporting agriculture around the area. The power plant would be damaging to the ecosystem and the livelihood, as well to the health of the people. The numerous ponds in that area could easily be affected by heavy metals like arsenic and mercury from the mining, if the ash pond used to dump the mined waste was breached.

How did we end up with a power plant being planned there? The answer is of course, corporate greed and zero oversight. The company claimed there were no waterbodies, mangroves, nor any agriculture. No one verified it, and the claims were approved. Such instances tend to be the norm rather than the exception the land adjacent to a scenic hill town of Kodaikanal was used as a mercury thermometer dumping ground in the late nineties. Much of this mercury waste made its way after a Cheeseborough Ponds thermometer plant was shut down in the great lakes area, USA owing to increasing awareness of its pollution, and subsequently moved to Kodaikanal in India. The factory has since shut down in 2002 after protests, but over a decade later, the factory workers and children continue to face the impact of mercury poisoning.

Citing the Kudankulam protests against setting up of the nuclear power plant, Nity pointed out that the mainstream media more often than not describes the state’s point of view, or even worse the view of the corporations involved. The state’s portrayal of the antinuclear struggle in this case was claims that the local people were misinformed and mentally ill, and even supported by antinationals and Maoists. Many people were even arrested and imprisoned on sedition charges.

In such scenarios, it is vital that journalists and activists such as Nity create a space for hearing the voice of the affected people, and it is equally important that people such as ourselves empathise and show solidarity with their struggles.

To learn more about the trust visit: http://rememberbhopal.net

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