A Day with Bhopali's during their hunger strike

We called for a Global Action Day on 28^th June, 2008 for the Bhopali’s sitting on indefinite hunger strike. We decided to call for solidarity fast that day with lot of people showing interest and enthusiasm. We decided to go to the dharna site at Jantar Mantar and sit with the bhopali’s the whole day. We managed to reach there by around 12.00 noon after a few work back home. I was on my second day of fast [I was having a 3 day fast from 27^th to 29^th].

As I’ve been going there regularly, now most of the people around recognize me. We sat around and soon more AID Delhi volunteers started to join us. Darshan, Kannan, Anand went to Sathyu and started to discuss with him. Later Abhinav and Anuradha joined them. I simply lay down and had a quick nap [to compensate my sleep for the last night]. Then I too joined the discussion there. I was slightly feeling some head ache due to my fast as I usually get head ache if proper food is not taken.

Around 12.30 we had media people around for a press conference and the children sitting at dharna announced to the press they would be now moving to prime minister’s house to hand over the hearts made by the school children of Delhi and by the Bhopal children’s as Prime Minister have lost his heart. They’ve made a large number of hearts and after the initial hiccups with the policemen they went along with the policemen and handed over the hearts at the P.M’s home.

After a couple of minutes when they came back, they were thrilled to explain every moment to Rachna and others about what happened there. Satabdi and Debamitro too joined us. Then we decided to wear pla-cards on our shoulders and sit on the truncation part of the road so that people who pass by can read the message. Me and Debamitro walked down and were preparing to sit, by then I got a call from Nitin saying that the children from Aashayen [one of our AID Delhi’s educational initiative] are here to make heart for the Prime Minister. The children from Bhopal explained them about the dharna and the issues and soon the children from Aashayen made heart for the P.M quickly and they left. We also had Nishant and Sherry joining us by then.

We were by then quite a number of volunteers there and started to have what is our stand an the issue?. Are we anti-DOW or are we looking for the clean up first?. Lot of questions rose from the volunteers and Shalini [Coordinator, SFB] joined us the discussion and we had a good brain storming on corporate accountability.

Finally we signed off in the evening around 6.00 and for lot of volunteers it was a life time experience to sit with the people who are on indefinite hunger strike. Our support for Bhopal and Bhopali’s will always remain the same.

Now it is the time when we are rejoicing victory of our struggle.......