On Friday, 18th September, at 6 pm, eight of Boston's best Indian classical dance schools combined forces to raise money and awareness for the Bhopal Chemical Disaster survivors at the Little Kresge Auditorium, in MIT. This is the 25th year since a Union Carbide gas leak exposed half a million people in the central Indian city of Bhopal, beginning the world's worst chemical disaster. It was in December 1984, when the pesticide manufacturing plant belonging to Union Carbide (now a subsidiary of Dow Chemical) released 40 tons of methyl isocyanate, a highly toxic chemical, killing over 8,000 people within 72 hours and affecting more than 500,000 residents of the area. Moreover, due to the illnesses caused by exposure and water contamination of the area, the effects of the disaster are still rampant. The Boston Coalition for Justice in Bhopal along with its co-sponsors for Bhopal-Natyam sought to inform the audience of this sold-out event about the ongoing disaster that has taken more than 23,000 lives and poisons more than 15,000 daily.

The funds raised ($2900) will go to the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB), a survivor led movement with strong support in the US and UK. The Bhopal Campaign works for poison-free water, meaningful health care, removal of the existing toxic waste at the site, and holding Dow Chemical-Union Carbide accountable for causing and perpetuating the disaster. The program was well attended by both students and the general public, and the atmosphere was infused with the feeling of solidarity for the Bhopal cause. One of the members of the audience, Vidya, said, “As someone from Bhopal, I was really touched seeing so many people working for justice. Neither the organizers nor most of the audience are from Bhopal, but 25 years later, halfway around the world, Bhopal is alive!”

The co-sponsors for Bhopal-Natyam were: AID (Association for India's Development) - MIT and Boston chapters; Asha for Education - MIT and Boston chapters; Harvard GSAS ALAAP: The South Asia Society; Matahari/Eye of the Day; MIT SAAS (South Asian American Students); MIT Sangam; MIT Students for Bhopal; Sanhati-Boston. The event was also supported by Sami Harbawi of the Andala Café in Cambridge.

The performers came from dance schools such as Thillai Fine Arts Academy, Natya Vidhyalaya, Eastern Rhythms, Kalaniketan, MIT Natya, Sanskriti, Triveni, as well as the Aparna Sindhoor Dance Theatre.

Bhopal-Natyam echoed the sentiments of the survivors, their celebrations, and the struggle to live and share their sorrow. Following the initial introduction about Bhopal and the felicitation of the performing schools as well as their teachers, the evening was lit up by rich and ebullient displays of the Bharatanatyam and Odissi dance forms. Classical Indian dance is one of the oldest art forms, whose origins can be traced back to 400 BC, and Bharatanatyam and Odissi are among the oldest of them. Indian classical dance is known to gracefully, yet powerfully, portray these sentiments of joy, sorrow, horror, anger, compassion, disgust, and love. With time, these dance forms have evolved and have inspired many contemporary choreographers and dancers to use the formal Bharatanatyam technique, or its elements to stage ballets presenting various themes such as nationalism, unity of religions, animal rights activism, sanctity of the environment, and fighting for human rights. One of the highlights of the evening was a dance rendition of the story of Bhopal, which also included a slide presentation of the disaster and its aftermath. The focus of this performance was justifiably the resilience which the people of Bhopal have shown in not letting the disaster get effaced with time. Following a short intermission, the MC’s provided an outline of the campaign objectives, key members of the coalition, and most importantly, ways in which people could help the movement to achieve its demands.

This event was in commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Bhopal Chemical Disaster, and aimed at increasing public awareness, highlighting the demands that haven’t been met, and proclaiming that the fight for justice is not over even after 25 years.

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