Bhopal survivors speak: emergent voices from a people's movement

Abstract

'To be able to hear the voices, direct and unmediated, of the survivors of the Bhopal disaster is crucial both for us and for the verdict of history. This book is a vital contribution to the story of Bhopal.' Paul Kingsnorth

'On one hand the repugnant complicity of political authority and capital: on the other the indomitable courage of the survivors and survivor-activists, mainly women. This important work offers insight into the history of the struggle as well as campaign strategies; when to negotiate , whether to stand alone or 'allow' outside support: broad issues but always fundamental. Their complex struggle for justice may have developed into a movement but the horrific effects of the contamination continue.' James Kelman

'All too rarely are the stories of the victims of environmental injustice told - and even less often in their own words. The remarkable campaigns run by the survivors of Bhopal in the face of every obstacle have lessons for all of us working for a fairer and safer world.' Duncan McLaren, Friends of the Earth Scotland

The toxic gas leak at the pesticide factory in Bhopal in 1984 remains the world's most devastating industrial environmental disaster, killing and fatally injuring tens of thousands. The company, a multinational corporation Union Carbide, and its successor Dow, continue to evade liability. A movement of survivors, many of whom are poor, uneducated women, has sustained a remarkable campaign for justice from the corporations responsible and colluding governments. Here, the survivors and campaigners tell their stories.

The toxic gas leak at the pesticide factory in Bhopal in 1984 remains the world's most devastating industrial environmental disaster, killing and fatally injuring tens of thousands. The company, a multinational corporation Union Carbide, and its successor Dow, continue to evade liability. A movement of survivors, many of whom are poor, uneducated women, has sustained a remarkable campaign for justice from the corporations responsible and colluding governments. Here, the survivors and campaigners tell their stories.