BH

The Story

"20 years is too long, let's fix it finally"

Terry Allan, American organic farmer, volunteers in Bhopal to help the Sambhavna clinic to grow their own herbal medicines. On the new location of the clinic right in he heart of the contaminated area, Terry gives an international perspective to this local tragedy. The seeds she plants in the soil are more than medicine, they are a step towards global action, Her words echoed in her original rap song "flames not flowers" says it all. The situation is not new, Everyone knows but everyone has forgotten. Terry concludes: "20 years is too long, let's fix it finally".

"We are fighting for those 20,000 people affected till today"

Rashida Bee, victim of the tragedy and internationally acclaimed activist, had once more to enter a hunger strike, in June 2004. Abandonned by their own governement, victims of Bhopal had for only option to address the supreme court in NY to obtain the decontamination of the site and the providing of medical research. In front of the Prime minister building in Delhi, their only demand is to have their governement sign the "no objection" letter to allow the United States to follow on with the case. Tired of pleading and fighting, Rashida Bee insists:" We are fighting for those 20,000 people affected till today, that are getting sicker".

"Bhopal is a very political problem and everyone exploits it for their good"

Rachna Dhingra , came back from the States to work locally for the international campaign "justice in Bhopal".To touch the governments at different levels, she undertakes meetings and street actions. A few months before the 20th anniversary her main goal was to have the contaminated areas linked to the city water system to ensure that inhabitants would not have to keep dinking poisonous water. Part of the settlement money has disappeared and Supreme Court decisions are not respected. After her meeting with the Mayor of Bhopal, Rachna concluded: "Bhopal is a very political problem and everyone exploits it for their good".

Justice for Bhopal is a glimpse of the courage and tenacity of people fighting for justice. It's a view of the daily life of citizens that have chosen to act in every possible way. It's a homage to simple people that make a difference.
In December 1984, one of the biggest industrial disasters recorded in history struck the destiny of hundreds of thousands of people. Bhopal has since become the icon of double sided globalisation. 20 years later the after effects of the establishment of the Union Carbide factory have far from diminshed. Contamination of the environment by carcinogenic products is now a major concern.
The cleaning of the site, the supply of water to the contaminated zones and medical research are still current affairs. Facing the indifference of corporations, politics and scientists, women are still fighting a never ending battle. This documentary, rythmed by the original rap song of Terry Allan, unveils the daily fight of these citizens of the world.

Only a few months before the 20th anniversary of the tragedy a wall was under construction to limit the access to the toxic site and higly poisonous products were still laying on the ground, contaminating the environment and the nearby wells. This said and proven, the documentary focuses on those exceptional people that give their time and energy to change the situation.

"We can't undertake a big study, little we're doing, whatever is in our capacity"

Dr Devinder Kaur works at the Sambhavna clinic, one of the charitable establishment that offers free treatments to the victims of contaminated areas. As a gynaecologist, she witnesses many endocrinal abnormalities, early menopause for young women and contamination of the breast milk of women living in the touched areas. Every official research have been dropped and the results are kept secret, in this condition it is hard to come to proven conclusions. Dr Kaur never the less keeps hope and explains: "We can not undertake a big study, little little we are doing, whatever is in our capacity".

"No Choice"

Aziza, a victim of the tragedy, now works for the Sambhavna clinic. Her role is to inform and lead prevention campaign within the communities nearby the toxic site. Face to face with the little ones and the elders, she proves how difficult it is to have the communities understand how dangerous it is to use the water coming from local wells and lagons. The families face a dilemna: keep living in this area where they have a home and a work but get poisoned daily by the toxic water or leave and loose everything they have. Their position is that they have "No Choice".