For many in this country, Sachin and cricket are synonymous. For many years I have tried to hold out. Today, Sachin and cricket got inextricably entwined in my mind. I am unlikely to think cricket again without thinking Sachin.
Sachin Kumar, that is. A young lad whose dream is to be a cricketer. Bowling and wicket-keeping is what he likes to do, but seems to enjoy throwing his bat around too. Only Sachin has to play on his knees. For he has cerebral palsy and cannot walk. And he plays on the grounds of the abandoned Union Carbide factory in Bhopal.
A test of the soil on that ground and another close by, both of which are used by children to play cricket, has revealed toxicity 300 to 400 times more than is permissible in the US, the ESPN report below claims.
Yes, today's catch is somber. It's a video report that I caught on crincinfo.com courtesy NDTV.com surfer Sasi K, who sent us the link. Thank you.
The 13-plus-minute video below documents Sachin and other children playing on the toxic grounds and asks some hard questions like: Are children like Sachin, born with physical impairment, victims of the Union Carbide gas leak 26 years ago? And are they now victims of an apathetic administration that is allowing them to play dangerously?
Catch on that video Babulal Gaur, a BJP minister in the present Madhya Pradesh government and also a former Chief Minister make some incredible statements. Did he actually say, "our country is a unique problem?" Please tell me I heard that wrong. I have had occasion to meet Mr Gaur in Bhopal when I lived there many years ago and he did not exactly startle me with great intellect or humanity, but this has to be a new low. Was it that he did not understand what he was saying in English?
Asked why the government does not stop the children from playing cricket on toxic fields, Gaur's answer is the most elaborate verbal shrug. I shall not transcribe it here, it has to be heard. The children say they know it's dangerous but they play on these grounds because they have nowhere else to play.
Then, there are Greenpeace clips of former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson and his life of luxury in the US juxtaposed to great effect with images of a Bhopal still struggling to find its feet. There are visuals of the carbide factory untouched and in disarray, never cleaned up by anyone.
Watch. (Do note: Some of the images in the video may be visually disturbing.)
True? False? The jury is still out on a lot of questions that this report attempts to ask. But what you see cannot be denied. Like Sachin, his disability, his poverty, the dreams in his eyes. In 16 days, we shall mark 26 years to that night of disaster when lethal gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory, poisoning the sleeping city. Bhopal is still suffering.
We are crawling the Web for more great videos, tweets pictures, blogs and people that just must be showcased. If you spot some that make you stop and stare, send them in here. We'll be happy to credit it to your spidery efforts on the WWW.
Sachin Kumar, that is. A young lad whose dream is to be a cricketer. Bowling and wicket-keeping is what he likes to do, but seems to enjoy throwing his bat around too. Only Sachin has to play on his knees. For he has cerebral palsy and cannot walk. And he plays on the grounds of the abandoned Union Carbide factory in Bhopal.
A test of the soil on that ground and another close by, both of which are used by children to play cricket, has revealed toxicity 300 to 400 times more than is permissible in the US, the ESPN report below claims.
Yes, today's catch is somber. It's a video report that I caught on crincinfo.com courtesy NDTV.com surfer Sasi K, who sent us the link. Thank you.
The 13-plus-minute video below documents Sachin and other children playing on the toxic grounds and asks some hard questions like: Are children like Sachin, born with physical impairment, victims of the Union Carbide gas leak 26 years ago? And are they now victims of an apathetic administration that is allowing them to play dangerously?
Catch on that video Babulal Gaur, a BJP minister in the present Madhya Pradesh government and also a former Chief Minister make some incredible statements. Did he actually say, "our country is a unique problem?" Please tell me I heard that wrong. I have had occasion to meet Mr Gaur in Bhopal when I lived there many years ago and he did not exactly startle me with great intellect or humanity, but this has to be a new low. Was it that he did not understand what he was saying in English?
Asked why the government does not stop the children from playing cricket on toxic fields, Gaur's answer is the most elaborate verbal shrug. I shall not transcribe it here, it has to be heard. The children say they know it's dangerous but they play on these grounds because they have nowhere else to play.
Then, there are Greenpeace clips of former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson and his life of luxury in the US juxtaposed to great effect with images of a Bhopal still struggling to find its feet. There are visuals of the carbide factory untouched and in disarray, never cleaned up by anyone.
Watch. (Do note: Some of the images in the video may be visually disturbing.)
True? False? The jury is still out on a lot of questions that this report attempts to ask. But what you see cannot be denied. Like Sachin, his disability, his poverty, the dreams in his eyes. In 16 days, we shall mark 26 years to that night of disaster when lethal gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory, poisoning the sleeping city. Bhopal is still suffering.
We are crawling the Web for more great videos, tweets pictures, blogs and people that just must be showcased. If you spot some that make you stop and stare, send them in here. We'll be happy to credit it to your spidery efforts on the WWW.
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