I was reading the tehelka magazine and read the above article and I am amazed at the apathy of every one including the victims! I am unable to digest the fact that for 23 long years, there is no action taken to stem the damage. Neither the people acted nor the Government acted or did the NGO's. All the three parties were involved in was, talking, blaming and passing the buck along. The people blamed the government that they were not compensated, the NGO's blamed the Corporate Dow chemicals accusing them of bribing the government into inaction and the government did not feel that its their immediate duty to repair the damage. It was only passing the buck along for 23 damned years while people were dying sick, while new borns were developing unknown disorders due the chemical exposure, while the elders were becoming weak and dizzy and while the environment was going to dogs. Not one thought "Okay! enough is enough. Let me get my hands dirty and cleanup this mess". End of day I blame the people themselves for this. They are suffering and they ought to have done something about it.
Agreed. Speaking is easy. But why can't some one draw up a plan? Why can't some one assess the damage? If it involves a lot of technical expertise, why can't you hire an expert? So what if they demand $30 Million? Why can't you go to the charity organisations for funding if not the government? Why can't some one motivate ground level people into action. After all how do you expect the government to help you if you can't help yourself? If you take ten steps, and ask for help someone will take it forward by another 2 steps if not another ten. Then the government would also be enthusiastic. I say, involve more people. Open your eyes to reality folks. Nothing is going to happen by walking 800 miles to Delhi except for having sore feet. Ours is a democracy dear. They listen only if you talk with numbers.
Let me throw in a line of action about how you collect your numbers and fight along side them. First draw out what you want to get out of this whole operation. Prepare a mission statement and blue print and then, get started.
Agreed. Speaking is easy. But why can't some one draw up a plan? Why can't some one assess the damage? If it involves a lot of technical expertise, why can't you hire an expert? So what if they demand $30 Million? Why can't you go to the charity organisations for funding if not the government? Why can't some one motivate ground level people into action. After all how do you expect the government to help you if you can't help yourself? If you take ten steps, and ask for help someone will take it forward by another 2 steps if not another ten. Then the government would also be enthusiastic. I say, involve more people. Open your eyes to reality folks. Nothing is going to happen by walking 800 miles to Delhi except for having sore feet. Ours is a democracy dear. They listen only if you talk with numbers.
Let me throw in a line of action about how you collect your numbers and fight along side them. First draw out what you want to get out of this whole operation. Prepare a mission statement and blue print and then, get started.
Step One, create a ripple. Draw attention to your cause. I believe your 800 Mile walk to Delhi is for this purpose. I appreciate your line of thought, but feel sorry for the means you have adapted. Its not 1947 anymore. This is not the era of satyagrahas/fast-unto-deaths/maun-wrats. Instead, get a celebrity endorse your cause. Aamir khan is a good grab. I find him decent and capable of empathy. Let him call a press meet and air his views if not shoot a movie for your cause. The media boys are sure to fall for it.
Step two, step up the momentum. Once you have grabbed some eyeballs, collect a good number of volunteers and do something that will herald your case into limelight. Some thing that is benevolent, humorous and that would catch the authorities off hand and tickle the public at the same time. Try something akin to the that suggested in an english novel. To protest against the falling interest rates for thier pensions, the old and senile queued up in the banks for opening new accounts in droves. Armed with $1 and loads of patience, they wrecked havoc in the bansk during thier peak hours. It costed the bank time, man power and in turn customers and money. For 1 month, they did this and then the rest is history. Mind you there is nothing violent about this. Its a non violent protest. Call for volunteers to help you in this. Advertise that all they have to do is come and stand in a line. All the more better if you can get a Hema Malini or a Rakhi Sawanth to stand in. Launch a blikreitz campaign in YouTube/ Yahoo and google. Make your agitation the most searched tag in google. All in all, make the whole affair a "cool thing to do for people with a conscience and passion towards humanity". End of step two, you have the numbers.
Step three, washing Dow Chemical's dirty linen in public. Hold them responsible for the ruckus that Union carbide has created. The audience would be on the edge of the seat for your words. When Dow hears all this, they wouldn't want to be castigated before the public in such a large scale. They are sure to move a bit if not come half way. Thrust the knife harder and release documentaries on the pathetic life people hear are undergoing. Let the nation repent in collective guilt of having left the "Bhopal gas peediths" to dogs. End of step three you have people who want to do some thing or the other.
Step four, since the stage is set, tell the public what you want to do. Tell them the line of action and then get on, make your hands dirty. Ask for the tools to do the job. You can't ask someone to get the job done. Remember the American saying "Its your Shit. You clean it!? Either dig the god damn earth out fifty feet and throw it in the ocean or seal it in a concrete structure. Evacuate people from there or do what ever the experts think. If it means rebuilding Bhopal, so be it. I am sure it can be done better now. GoI or GoMP will only help. Also, time is essence here. Remember the public doesn't have the memory of a Hamster. They tend to forget very fast. I give you three months or 5 at the most. Get through the agenda during this time. All the best!
Step two, step up the momentum. Once you have grabbed some eyeballs, collect a good number of volunteers and do something that will herald your case into limelight. Some thing that is benevolent, humorous and that would catch the authorities off hand and tickle the public at the same time. Try something akin to the that suggested in an english novel. To protest against the falling interest rates for thier pensions, the old and senile queued up in the banks for opening new accounts in droves. Armed with $1 and loads of patience, they wrecked havoc in the bansk during thier peak hours. It costed the bank time, man power and in turn customers and money. For 1 month, they did this and then the rest is history. Mind you there is nothing violent about this. Its a non violent protest. Call for volunteers to help you in this. Advertise that all they have to do is come and stand in a line. All the more better if you can get a Hema Malini or a Rakhi Sawanth to stand in. Launch a blikreitz campaign in YouTube/ Yahoo and google. Make your agitation the most searched tag in google. All in all, make the whole affair a "cool thing to do for people with a conscience and passion towards humanity". End of step two, you have the numbers.
Step three, washing Dow Chemical's dirty linen in public. Hold them responsible for the ruckus that Union carbide has created. The audience would be on the edge of the seat for your words. When Dow hears all this, they wouldn't want to be castigated before the public in such a large scale. They are sure to move a bit if not come half way. Thrust the knife harder and release documentaries on the pathetic life people hear are undergoing. Let the nation repent in collective guilt of having left the "Bhopal gas peediths" to dogs. End of step three you have people who want to do some thing or the other.
Step four, since the stage is set, tell the public what you want to do. Tell them the line of action and then get on, make your hands dirty. Ask for the tools to do the job. You can't ask someone to get the job done. Remember the American saying "Its your Shit. You clean it!? Either dig the god damn earth out fifty feet and throw it in the ocean or seal it in a concrete structure. Evacuate people from there or do what ever the experts think. If it means rebuilding Bhopal, so be it. I am sure it can be done better now. GoI or GoMP will only help. Also, time is essence here. Remember the public doesn't have the memory of a Hamster. They tend to forget very fast. I give you three months or 5 at the most. Get through the agenda during this time. All the best!
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