December 4, 2017
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Governance
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By: 
Manu Moudgil
This collaboration transformed four rooms and one hall way of a rented duplex flat into a lived experience.

The first community-led museum of the country gives voice to survivors of the deadly gas leak and offers lessons in preservation​

AT ‘REMEMBER Bhopal’, the first community-led museum of India, voices of survivors lead you through the biggest industrial disaster of the world that killed over 5,000 people, maimed hundreds of thousands and continues to contaminate land and water even after 33 years.

The leakage of methyl isocyanate gas on December 3, 1984, from the chemical plant of Union Carbide India Limited in Bhopal made it to the history textbooks but it’s here that one confronts the enormity of this man-made tragedy. 

The personal stories can be heard from the receivers put next to the objects and images, making it a good experiment in preserving oral histories led by people. 

Listening to a personal account in the 'Black Room' can transport you to the night of tragedy.

 

 

An aluminium pot from Nafeesa Bi's kitchen reflecting the impact of polluted water

 

 

Savitri bai remembers her son Vinod through his pencil box.

 

 

Jameela Bi's son, who was born with physical disability, used this gaiter to walk

 

 

In ‘Anderson Room’ are accounts of journalists and activists about how the tragedy was waiting to happen and the ease with which company owner Warren Anderson flew back to America within 24 hours of his arrest.

 

 

From the pits of tragedy and despair, a flight of stairs takes you to skies of hope and determination.

 

 

The upper level of the building has walls decked with torches, loudspeakers, banners, brooms and various other art forms used by protesters over the years to jolt the society out of its business-as-usual approach.

 

 

Women activists have been the core strength of this struggle which is why they also get greater representation here. Songs of protest can be heard from the receivers as also the strong voices of those who are willing to give a fitting reply.

 

 

Activists, both from the affected and unaffected communities, become part of the narrative.A lawyer’s handbook comes with voice of advocate Santosh Kumar who used it to fight cases of compensation for survivors.

 

 

This stethoscope helped Dr H H Trivedi diagnose many who were condemned to live a slow death.

 

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