“Different parties have come to power in the last three decades but none has paid any attention to the survivors of Bhopal. I am not afraid of dying and hope my death will make the government take notice of the situation in Bhopal.”
On the night of the disaster Shezadi ran with her husband and four children and was lucky to get on to a truck and escape. She still remembers the two neighbours who died in the truck. Her husband was badly affected and had to be hospitalized often. Because of his illness he was not able to do any manual work. Her eldest daughter is 38 today and has been sick ever since the disaster. Her son was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1997 and is not able to do much physical work today. The family settled in an area where the ground water was contaminated by recklessly dumped hazardous waste from the Union Carbide factory. That caused further health damage to all members of the family. Shezadi suffers from chest pain, impaired vision and burning in the stomach. She has received only Rs. 25 thousand as compensation.
Shezadi Bee, Age: 59
