"Whenever evil wins, it is by default. It is the moral failure of those who fail to understand that basic principles and ethics can't be compromised"
Ayn Rand
I thought I should start with one of my favourite quotes as it has a significant relevance in today's blog and life as well.
December 2/3 1984 was a fateful night for countless citizens of this country and for the generations to follow. The effects of the gas leak are seen even today. These effects go far beyond the bodily torture of those affected. It is the emotional and psychological pain which is the greater problem. There had been, was and will be an outcry and public demand for justice. But apprehending the people within the company is only a very small part of the actual solution. The problem is far greater than this. This is where comes the relevance of the first few lines of this blog. Warren Anderson and the others culprits escaped because WE LET THEM. The "few " politicians and beaurocrats involved did not understand Ayn Rand's quote. Warren Anderson is guilty, no doubt about it, but are we not too? There would not have been an incidence where a criminal, with a crime of such tremendous proportions, escapes the country had there been a proper system in place. But still, it happened. Why? Read on...
In this blog, I am NOT going to berate and condemn the Union Carbide officials as there are already many forces doing that and as they are not the major problems, the major problems are we. The Pareto Principle again comes to the fore. I will like all of us to take a look at the major causes of today's pathetic situation as far as Bhopal Gas Tragedy goes:
1) ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) Manipulation :
The ICMR had already identified cyanide as the major toxin after the gas leak. The cyanide had only 1 antidote at that time, Sodium Nitrite - Sodium thio Sulphate. Due to the revelation of cyanide being the major toxin, there was a strong lobby backed by the company which advocated that there is no need of Sodium thio sulphate. Had it been proved so, then there would have been greater repercussions seen by the company. Dr Ishwar Das, commissioner for rehabilitation of gas victims, and Dr N.P. Mishra, head of the department of medicine, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, no doubt after being "well payed" went to Delhi on September 5, 1985, to press the anti-thiosulphate case which was eventually accepted thus driving a nail into the coffin. Here starts the list of traitors. Our own people, our own brethren working against us. Dr. Avashia, Medical Director, Institute Plant, USA had informed the authorities on 3rd December 1984 itself that in case of cyanide poisoning administer Sodium Thiosulphate and Sodium Nitrite. Now, it was not only rejected but more obstacles were planted in its path. In the second week of December, Dr. M.N. Nagu, the director of health services, Madhya Pradesh, ostensibly on an order from the Union health ministry, banned the use of sodium thiosulphate. He did not release the stock with him at that time. It is one thing to turn a blind eye, but he actually stopped it!
2) Rejecting Medical Service:
Renowned German Toxicologist Dr. Max Daunderer from the Clinical Toxicology Laboratory, Munich arrived in the country on 4th December 1984 with the hope that he could share his knowledge and help curb the toxin effects and the resulting deaths. He was sure from his knowledge about Union Carbide that the gas contained cyanide and carried with him the antidote for it. The Carbide circle became aware of the possibility that their crime will be exposed and started to spread the rumour that Dr. Daunderer was a CIA agent. The Union Health Ministry summoned Dr. Daunderer to Delhi on 7th December 1984 to supposedly 'discuss the situation'. After arriving there in Delhi, he was asked to leave the country immediately or face arrest for 'complicating the incidence and stirring up an unnecessary controversy'.
3) Biological Warfare Experimentation:
This might sound a little too much but there had been suspicious acts and decisions which went into this thought crystallizing in the minds of the people. Despite the fact that Union Carbide Plant was running into huge losses, the company continued to make crores of investments every year, why? It conducted biological studies without getting projects cleared by the high-level screening committees of the Government of India, of which the secretary, ministry of external affairs, and the defence adviser are members. The company also conducted biological research in the strategic area North-East regions of the nation. The ruling party had a special connect with Union Carbide. A member of the party was their lawyer. There were other lavish obligations bestowed by the company on the party members.
4) Play acting by the Government:
In mid-August 1985, the Madhya Pradesh health department got a consignment of 10 lakh tablets of Rheo-dur-a bronchodilator from a key Pharmaceuticals Inc, Miami, Florida for treatment of gas victims. The medicine, worth around $ 50,000 (about Rs. 6 lakh) was donated by the company to a Bhopal gas victims’ relief organisation of Indians settled in the USA, headed by one Dinesh Chandra. The organisation, reportedly through some "helpful sources in the prime minister’s secretariat" succeeded in persuading the government to waive duty on the consignment. Only later was it discovered that the donated tablets’ expiry date was September 1985. But this did not deter the authorities from distributing the tablets to gas victims-that too, it is alleged, without informing them about the expiry date. One can only wonder why this was done. And what could have been the motive behind sending an expired batch of life-saving medicine for the Bhopal victims? Was it because India is considered a dumping ground of anything with American origin. It might have been, but now, people like you and me, we are going to fight this notion.
Every point indicates that a Indian hand was involved in what happened. Right after the poisoning incident, the politicians, beaurocrats, health officials, lawyers and policemen were a party to the heinous act. It is of greatest irony, that our own people were responsible to this mass murder when a foreign doctor (Dr. Max Daunderer) was out there to help the people. Those who died, they were not murdered by Union Carbide, they were murdered by the likes of Dr. Das, Dr. Mishra, Dr. Nagu, Dr. Chandra and all those in the system. It was a nexus of persons who sold their souls in the market. They set a price to their souls and corrupted their minds and hearts.
I do not hold Warren Anderson and his people as the sole culprits. For me, the greater culprits are our own people who compromised on ethics. The Company, they are not my countrymen. Hence, they are going to give two hoots about this anyway. But, my own countrymen, they back stabbed this nation for their personal gain and that is what pains me the most. We are only hurt by those who we believe are our own. The time to apprehend all these criminals might well be gone but I can take one thing out of it, i.e. the future is still for us. If all of us decide to, we can prevent another Das, Mishra, Nagu or Chandra to act in such manner. These are just names of evil, the true evil is the attitude which resides deep inside the mind. This attitude is to be defeated. If we can defeat this attitude we can take the reins of our future in our hands. Apprehending just one Anderson or any of those mass murderers is not the solution. Defeating the evil within, now that's the solution. Evil is within all of us, that is the part which entices the mind and body in taking incorrect and selfish decisions but it can be fought and kept under control. Evil cannot be exterminated but in can be kept at bay. For the future of this nation, all of us have to be the defence forces against evil. Just defending oneself from the evil within is enough. Just protect your own souls from being corrupted and it would be a great deed. We should decide not to let evil corrupt our soul and purpose. Let us fight that alluring force of Power, Evil and Money. We have to decide not to compromise on ethics if we are to stand a chance of survival against all odds and God willing a chance to be a Superpower one day.
Jai Hind!
Ayn Rand
I thought I should start with one of my favourite quotes as it has a significant relevance in today's blog and life as well.
December 2/3 1984 was a fateful night for countless citizens of this country and for the generations to follow. The effects of the gas leak are seen even today. These effects go far beyond the bodily torture of those affected. It is the emotional and psychological pain which is the greater problem. There had been, was and will be an outcry and public demand for justice. But apprehending the people within the company is only a very small part of the actual solution. The problem is far greater than this. This is where comes the relevance of the first few lines of this blog. Warren Anderson and the others culprits escaped because WE LET THEM. The "few " politicians and beaurocrats involved did not understand Ayn Rand's quote. Warren Anderson is guilty, no doubt about it, but are we not too? There would not have been an incidence where a criminal, with a crime of such tremendous proportions, escapes the country had there been a proper system in place. But still, it happened. Why? Read on...
In this blog, I am NOT going to berate and condemn the Union Carbide officials as there are already many forces doing that and as they are not the major problems, the major problems are we. The Pareto Principle again comes to the fore. I will like all of us to take a look at the major causes of today's pathetic situation as far as Bhopal Gas Tragedy goes:
1) ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) Manipulation :
The ICMR had already identified cyanide as the major toxin after the gas leak. The cyanide had only 1 antidote at that time, Sodium Nitrite - Sodium thio Sulphate. Due to the revelation of cyanide being the major toxin, there was a strong lobby backed by the company which advocated that there is no need of Sodium thio sulphate. Had it been proved so, then there would have been greater repercussions seen by the company. Dr Ishwar Das, commissioner for rehabilitation of gas victims, and Dr N.P. Mishra, head of the department of medicine, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, no doubt after being "well payed" went to Delhi on September 5, 1985, to press the anti-thiosulphate case which was eventually accepted thus driving a nail into the coffin. Here starts the list of traitors. Our own people, our own brethren working against us. Dr. Avashia, Medical Director, Institute Plant, USA had informed the authorities on 3rd December 1984 itself that in case of cyanide poisoning administer Sodium Thiosulphate and Sodium Nitrite. Now, it was not only rejected but more obstacles were planted in its path. In the second week of December, Dr. M.N. Nagu, the director of health services, Madhya Pradesh, ostensibly on an order from the Union health ministry, banned the use of sodium thiosulphate. He did not release the stock with him at that time. It is one thing to turn a blind eye, but he actually stopped it!
2) Rejecting Medical Service:
Renowned German Toxicologist Dr. Max Daunderer from the Clinical Toxicology Laboratory, Munich arrived in the country on 4th December 1984 with the hope that he could share his knowledge and help curb the toxin effects and the resulting deaths. He was sure from his knowledge about Union Carbide that the gas contained cyanide and carried with him the antidote for it. The Carbide circle became aware of the possibility that their crime will be exposed and started to spread the rumour that Dr. Daunderer was a CIA agent. The Union Health Ministry summoned Dr. Daunderer to Delhi on 7th December 1984 to supposedly 'discuss the situation'. After arriving there in Delhi, he was asked to leave the country immediately or face arrest for 'complicating the incidence and stirring up an unnecessary controversy'.
3) Biological Warfare Experimentation:
This might sound a little too much but there had been suspicious acts and decisions which went into this thought crystallizing in the minds of the people. Despite the fact that Union Carbide Plant was running into huge losses, the company continued to make crores of investments every year, why? It conducted biological studies without getting projects cleared by the high-level screening committees of the Government of India, of which the secretary, ministry of external affairs, and the defence adviser are members. The company also conducted biological research in the strategic area North-East regions of the nation. The ruling party had a special connect with Union Carbide. A member of the party was their lawyer. There were other lavish obligations bestowed by the company on the party members.
4) Play acting by the Government:
In mid-August 1985, the Madhya Pradesh health department got a consignment of 10 lakh tablets of Rheo-dur-a bronchodilator from a key Pharmaceuticals Inc, Miami, Florida for treatment of gas victims. The medicine, worth around $ 50,000 (about Rs. 6 lakh) was donated by the company to a Bhopal gas victims’ relief organisation of Indians settled in the USA, headed by one Dinesh Chandra. The organisation, reportedly through some "helpful sources in the prime minister’s secretariat" succeeded in persuading the government to waive duty on the consignment. Only later was it discovered that the donated tablets’ expiry date was September 1985. But this did not deter the authorities from distributing the tablets to gas victims-that too, it is alleged, without informing them about the expiry date. One can only wonder why this was done. And what could have been the motive behind sending an expired batch of life-saving medicine for the Bhopal victims? Was it because India is considered a dumping ground of anything with American origin. It might have been, but now, people like you and me, we are going to fight this notion.
Every point indicates that a Indian hand was involved in what happened. Right after the poisoning incident, the politicians, beaurocrats, health officials, lawyers and policemen were a party to the heinous act. It is of greatest irony, that our own people were responsible to this mass murder when a foreign doctor (Dr. Max Daunderer) was out there to help the people. Those who died, they were not murdered by Union Carbide, they were murdered by the likes of Dr. Das, Dr. Mishra, Dr. Nagu, Dr. Chandra and all those in the system. It was a nexus of persons who sold their souls in the market. They set a price to their souls and corrupted their minds and hearts.
I do not hold Warren Anderson and his people as the sole culprits. For me, the greater culprits are our own people who compromised on ethics. The Company, they are not my countrymen. Hence, they are going to give two hoots about this anyway. But, my own countrymen, they back stabbed this nation for their personal gain and that is what pains me the most. We are only hurt by those who we believe are our own. The time to apprehend all these criminals might well be gone but I can take one thing out of it, i.e. the future is still for us. If all of us decide to, we can prevent another Das, Mishra, Nagu or Chandra to act in such manner. These are just names of evil, the true evil is the attitude which resides deep inside the mind. This attitude is to be defeated. If we can defeat this attitude we can take the reins of our future in our hands. Apprehending just one Anderson or any of those mass murderers is not the solution. Defeating the evil within, now that's the solution. Evil is within all of us, that is the part which entices the mind and body in taking incorrect and selfish decisions but it can be fought and kept under control. Evil cannot be exterminated but in can be kept at bay. For the future of this nation, all of us have to be the defence forces against evil. Just defending oneself from the evil within is enough. Just protect your own souls from being corrupted and it would be a great deed. We should decide not to let evil corrupt our soul and purpose. Let us fight that alluring force of Power, Evil and Money. We have to decide not to compromise on ethics if we are to stand a chance of survival against all odds and God willing a chance to be a Superpower one day.
Jai Hind!
4 comments:
dere will be more causes for dis tragedy..........de list will go on increasing
Yes it will. But like I said, I wanted 2 focus on the major ones. It took me 2 days just to compile all data, edit it and now 2 post it. Pareto dictates 2 handle the 20% causes 2 solve d 80% problems!
Jai Hind!
hmm......frustration....thats what comes when u read dis....and yet...you got this data.....did the media get it btw?????the one who are supposed to be the link between the common man and the "leaders"/"politicians"????
Yeah...Frustration and anger!
It took me nearly 2 days 2 compile the data, edit it and then write.
Media, unfortunately have not done their job to d extent that they should.
There was news in some local papers but not as much as needed and presented here.
The "link" is busy, so let us get down 2 business!
Jai Hind!
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