Gas Tragedy An Eye Witness

After that great ?Tryst with Destiny? in 1947, the gruesome Gas Tragedy of 1984 in Bhopal is, perhaps, the most memorable incident in the annals of our history, black and hideous though it is. The devilish MIC gas tended by greenhorns escaped from Union Carbide factory bringing in its trail death, devastation and genetic terror. The beautiful metro city remained mantled in fear and agony until man began to assert himself. The author, the then ADM of Bhopal, had witnessed this great man-made disaster and was actively involved in the relief and rehabilitation work among the helpless victims. He had the experience of observing the sufferings, reactions, despair of gas victims which he shares with the readers in Gas Tragedy: An Eyewitness, a dainty little book compactly written and copiously illustrated bringing out in marked details every facet of the great tragedy and its aftermath. Dealing initially with the beautiful description of Bhopal?s gradual transformation into a metro city then furthering with the establishment and commercial activities of UCIL, that was soon to be a monstrous killer. Slowly the great catastrophe is described in its full force and gory details making our gorge rise filling us with nausea and pity following the government efforts at damage control. The Operation Faith undertaken to neutralise the MIC in the factory is graphically described together with the humane role of the NGOs. Lastly, the author is at his didactic best, suggesting a practical approach to day-to-day problems faced by man in a civilised society.