Unfolding The Betrayal of Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Contents: Apology. Preface. 1. 1984-85: The year of unprecedented historical events. 2. A few introductory remarks about gas disaster. 3. Gas tragedy: as I saw it. 4. Contrivance against the drawl of sample of the killer gas. 5. List of those killed in the gas disaster and ex-gratia payments. 6. The report. 7. Threats posed by the toxic and hazardous gases, chemicals and other material stored in the union carbide factory. 8. Litigation in USA to get compensation for the gas victims.9. Free distribution of ration and milk in the gas affected areas. 10. Survey conducted by Tata school of social sciences Bombay and financial assistance of rupees fifteen hundred per family. 11. Medical treatment. 12. Award of compensation to gas victims. 13. Judicial inquiry commission. 14. Financial assistance for dead animals. 15. STEP-UP in the gas affected areas. 16. Handling of relief material and volunteers. 17. Contrivance for awards. 18. Requirement of additional manpower. 19. Some core points for disaster management.
"Bhopal gas catastrophe of 1984, world\'s worst industrial disaster, is well known but its many vital aspects had not yet come to public view and were shrouded in mystery. The lethal gas that escaped from the Union Carbide plant at Bhopal in the night of 2nd and 3rd December 1984 killed thousands of innocent people instantaneously and maimed lakhs of them. It did not spare even animals, birds and other creatures and killed thousands, of buffalos, cows, horses, goats, dogs, etc.
In this heart rending tragedy of immense magnitude, compassionate and dedicated people from all walks of life, came forward with all sorts of assistance and worked day and night to provide succour to suffering gas victims. At the same time, the union carbide, in tandem with a few influential officers and doctors, did all that it could to subvert the efforts of rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations that were being done by the dedicated people and saw to it that the guilty were not punished and surviving gas victims did not get even just and fair compensation. Claim cases of gas victims were tampered with and supporting documents were delinked and destroyed. A few senior officers worked only for self aggrandizement. With passage of time, the vast resources meant for gas victims were virtually looted and misappropriated on a massive scale to distribute favours to cronies and manipulators.
Who could be a better witness to these intrigues and bungling than this author who was collector and District magistrate of Bhopal and the chief coordinator of rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations at the district level? He has unraveled all these truths in this book which is full of startling revelations." (jacket)
