The other day while reading the Sunday news paper, I suddenly stopped chuckling to myself, as I caught my wife's enquiring look.She was a little alarmed when I told her that I was reading an article on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, an event that left many thousands maimed or dead, twenty five years ago to this day.
Why laugh at at the horrible tragedy was her logical question? I had to hastily explain that I wasn't laughing at the tragedy per se, but at a bit of history.............
While at school, we would be hauled off to an industry every month, for an 'Industry Visit'. For thirteen year old's, it was a novelty and fun, except that, we would have to write a report post the event.
One such visit took us to Union Carbide. The American subsidiary, exported shrimps & prawns and after looking at various very very dead prawns of different shapes and sizes, a chappie drifted along and directed us to a room, where he said we would be served refreshments.
About forty of us ( boys & girls ) got to this room in pretty good time, when all hell broke loose . A table loaded with 'cookies' and coke was attacked & there was a general free for all ( Coke was not as freely available as it is today & we had not heard of cookies). The girls had no chance. I in my defense can say, that I was a fraction late off the blocks, as there was a twinge on conscience, but then who can resist freebies?
When the melee ended, the sight was a sorry one and we were admonished first by the manager & then by the girls who were the only ones to have retained a modicum of dignity. The scene haunted me for many years, particularly the UC Manager ticking us off on our lack of manners.The eventual fall out was that our trips were cancelled after we were chastised by our Principal in front of the school.
What's the connection you might well ask?
Well, the irony is that we as thirteen year old's were ticked off for being unruly in a firm which indulged in mass murder at Bhopal a few years hence and where their head honcho, scooted from this country and refused to stand trial, while many of those who suffered continue to cry out to a nation that has forgotten.
Maybe I should have wept.....................at the hypocrisy!
5 comments:
its very easy to point your one finger at others defaults but unknowingly we are pointing three fingers towards us only:)easy to condemn others but hard to accept our wrong doing..again,this is a master act which only we humans can practice so well just like cloning invented by human beings:)
Very true!
It is amazing how thick skinned we can be.
A person is ethical if he follows certain practices even though no one is watching... more than two decades are over and still justice is a far cry for people who have suffered.. I think sometimes we should just accept that Life is NOT fair....
AAK,
That life is not fair, I agree, but my goat is got when people preach and not practice.
Also, I was looking forward to continuing our discussion on 'Roots' or the lack of it.
Wish you the best for your next Chicken Sandwich & I hope you get thoroughly psyched in the days to come!
Au revoir!
Merry Christmas Sir... Please read your mail for the Roots answer..
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