BHOPAL XXV *

Rashida Bee

In 2004, Rashida Bee and Champa Devi received the "Goldman Prize for Excellence in Protecting the Environment", in recognition of their exemplary 20 years struggle. They used the $125,000 in prize money in aid of their NGO, the Chingari Trust, that provides medical aid to children born with congenital malformations. They created, in their turn, the "Chingari Award for Women Against Corporate Crime" recognizing women fighting corporate crime across India. The first ceremony, held in Bhopal in 2007, was a great success.

Image: © Micha Patault

As for orange agent used during the war of Vietnam (produced amongst other things by Dow and Monsanto), the residues and pesticides produced by Union Carbide cause congenital malformations (respiratory/circulatory system, muscle-skeleton…). Exposure of children is double: in utero + breast-feeding, and by drink water (a child drinks 2,5 times more water, relatively to its weight, compared to an adult). The women exposed to the pesticides by their environment, have 2 times more risks to make abortion in consequence of malformation of the foetus.

"Here, adults were victims of gas, and now, children are victims of water" said Poona Bai, mother of Raj, who cannot walk and has an oversize head.

Saddam 15 years old

Saddam suffers fom anemia.

Image: © Kostas Pliakos

Anaemias are due to the contamination of water by pesticides left in the plant and washed by rainwater (there are still pesticides on the spot). Indeed, Union Carbide left without cleaning up the site. Moreover, according to former workers of the Union Carbide factory, while the factory was in operation, massive amounts of chemicals - including pesticides, solvents, catalysts and wastes - were routinely dumped in and around the factory grounds. These include deadly substances such as aldicarb, carbaryl, mercury, and several chlorinated chemicals.

• 52% of women suffurs from anemia in India [1]
• 95% of women suffurs from anemia in Atal Ayub Nagar (a community affected by water contamination) [2]

  [1] UNICEF. [2] Sambhavna Clinic, sample of 141 women ; 2000

Shakira, 18 years old

Shakira is smaller than the other children of her age. Following malformations on the feet, she cannot walk, even with helps. The doctors could not help her.

Image: © Stéphane Bouillet

Union Carbide has never shown any interest in the condition of its victims, said Sunil Kumar, who lost his entire family during the original gas leak. We've always known that. Now it seems they know that their factory is poisoning a whole new generation - and they are doing nothing to stop it. People are ill in the communities. Babies are sick. There are many deformed births. It's as if they really hate us. As if they are trying to punish us for protesting when they gassed us before and killed our families. What kind of people are they to do this?