Christians mark Bhopal gas tragedy in India

(December 3, 2009) Christians in Bhopal have staged their own prayer meeting and torchlight vigil to mark the 25th anniversary of the world's worst industrial tragedy. People at a torchlight vigil gather around a monument honouring those who died in the Bhopal gas tragedy. About 3,000 people died on December 3, 1984 when 40 tons of deadly methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a chemical plant owned by the Union Carbide Corporation in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh state. According to state government figures, some 15,000 people subsequently died as a result of the tragedy, whereas NGOs put the death toll at over 20,000. The government has also admitted the gas leak affected around 573,600 survivors. Now 25 years later, survivors are still awaiting justice. About 100 people from various Christian denominations attended the prayer meeting on December 2, the eve of the tragedy. The commission for ecumenism and dialogue of the state's Catholic bishops' council organized the event at Seva Sadan, Bhopal archdiocese's social service centre. The participants, including members of the Madhya Pradesh Isai Mahasangh (grand assembly of Christians in Madhya Pradesh), lit candles and observed two minutes of silence as a mark of respect for the victims. They also prayed for peace and comfort for the survivors. "The magnitude of the tragedy was so powerful, even now people are suffering from its aftermath," said Father Anand Muttungal, the commission secretary and spokesperson of the Catholic Church in the state. Survivors and those born since then still suffer from breathing difficulties, gastro-intestinal problems, menstrual irregularities, miscarriages and neurological problems, Father Muttungal said. In an inter-faith prayer service the state government organized to pay tribute to the victims, State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan told the gathering the accident was a man-made one. Mufti Abdul Razak, a Muslim urged people to do more for survivors' welfare. "As a society we have failed to wipe away the victims' tears," he said.