Night When Death Swept Through City: 40 Years Since Bhopal Gas Tragedy

What is a dark night? For the people of Bhopal, it was a moment when life itself turned into a nightmare. On the night of December 2-3, 1984, death swept through the city like a silent storm, leaving behind screams, pain, and an endless shadow of sorrow. It wasn't just lives that were lost - it was hope, love, and humanity itself.

Two and a half years before this catastrophe, NDTV's ex journalist Rajkumar Keshwani warned, "bacahyen huzuzr is seher ko bacahyen."

His chilling articles - "Bhopal Is Sitting On The Mouth Of A Volcano " - were ignored by the government, the administration, and Union Carbide. The warning signs were there, but no one listened.

Death Descends

In the early hours of that tragic night, a lethal cloud of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory, turning Bhopal into a gas chamber. Families were torn apart in chaos; mothers abandoned children in their desperation, while children searched for their parents in vain.

"I was just 12. My eyes swelled shut as we ran. Four in my family died, but we didn't even get Rs 1 in compensation," said Bijli, a survivor.

Mohammad Rizwan, another survivor, said, "At Sindhi Colony crossing, there was a continuous pile of bodies. Some were even taken straight to the crematorium."

Negligence And Deception

While Bhopal grieved, those in power looked the other way. Chief Minister Arjun Singh left for 'prayers' in Allahabad. His autobiography later claimed he returned the same evening. Yet questions remain about his role in facilitating the escape of the primary accused, Warren Anderson, the then-chairman of Union Carbide.

The mystery surrounding Anderson's departure from India has been detailed in books and memoirs, shedding light on decisions made behind closed doors.

In his autobiography, A Grain of Sand in the Hourglass of Time, then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Arjun Singh offered his perspective on Anderson's arrest and subsequent release. According to Singh, he was informed of Anderson's arrival in Bhopal on December 4, 1984, and ordered his arrest.

Singh recalled giving written instructions to the then Collector Moti Singh and Superintendent of Police Swaraj Puri, emphasizing the need to act firmly despite anticipated pressure.

This decision, Singh noted, was extraordinary: "Generally, the Chief Minister does not give written instructions, but considering the seriousness of the matter, I thought it appropriate to do so."

However, the controversy deepened when Singh claimed that the directive to release Anderson and send him to Delhi via state aircraft came from the Union Home Ministry. He revealed that a senior official, RD Pradhan, acting under the instructions of Union Home Minister PV Narasimha Rao, repeatedly called the Madhya Pradesh administration to facilitate Anderson's departure.

Collector Moti Singh's Revelations: A Cloak-and-Dagger Operation

In 2008, Moti Singh, the then Collector of Bhopal, offered his account in his book Unfolding the Betrayal of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Moti Singh described the covert operation to transport Anderson out of Bhopal.

According to him, Anderson was taken to the airport without the usual security measures to maintain secrecy. He was escorted in Moti Singh's vehicle, with SP Swaraj Puri sitting in the front seat, while Anderson sat in the back with Moti Singh. From there, Anderson boarded a state aircraft to Delhi and flew to the United States later that night.

Moti Singh also acknowledged operational lapses, such as failing to disconnect the telephone in Anderson's temporary holding room. Anderson allegedly used this oversight to influence the situation in his favour.

A Legacy of Pain

Even after 40 years, the true death toll remains contested - 5,295 according to the central government, over 15,000 according to Madhya Pradesh, and 25,000 by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

Thousands continue to suffer from long-term effects of the gas. Compensation was a cruel joke - Rs 25,000 for lives shattered forever.

"Dow Chemical, which absorbed Union Carbide, has grown its business in India tenfold. Meanwhile, Bhopal's groundwater remains contaminated, spreading further into the city," said Rachna Dhingra, an activist fighting for the rights of gas victims.

Bhopal's story is not just one of disaster - it is of betrayal. While the perpetrators escaped, the victims remain trapped in their suffering, their cries lost in political noise. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy is a chilling reminder of what happens when human lives are weighed against profits.