Evolution and Proponents of Social Activism in India: Bhopal Gas Tragedy and Irom Chanu Sharmila
Some of the definitions of ‘activism’:
-Oxford: the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.
-Wikipedia: Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing businesses, rallies, street marches, strikes, sit-ins, and hunger strikes.
The group presentation spoke about the treatment/coverage given to various activist movements by the media. They covered an array of topics from the mammoth disaster caused by the Bhopal gas tragedy to the protest of the unsung hero of Manipur, Irom Chanu Sharmilla. The presentation gave us a brief insight of how all of these cases were covered by the media, explaining us the contrasting treatments given to each of them. Analysis of two of the cases discussed by them:
1. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy: It is known to be one of the world’s worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal. A leak of methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of hundreds of thousands of people. The death toll reached 15,000 and over 1,20,000 people were rendered with lifetime ailments. A compensation of $470 million was given.
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy led to an enormous mass movement with activists like Satinath Sarangi, Rashida Bee, Champa Devi Shukla and Safreen Khan, the 17 year old, who walked 800 km to see the PM. The media coverage it got was also quite manifested, from The Hindu tracking each and every tiny development in the case to the TIME magazine publishing an entire cover story on the same. Hence the Bhopal gas tragedy is one of the few cases in the history of industrial catastrophe that the mankind will never forget.
2. Irom Chanu
-Oxford: the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.
-Wikipedia: Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing businesses, rallies, street marches, strikes, sit-ins, and hunger strikes.
The group presentation spoke about the treatment/coverage given to various activist movements by the media. They covered an array of topics from the mammoth disaster caused by the Bhopal gas tragedy to the protest of the unsung hero of Manipur, Irom Chanu Sharmilla. The presentation gave us a brief insight of how all of these cases were covered by the media, explaining us the contrasting treatments given to each of them. Analysis of two of the cases discussed by them:
1. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy: It is known to be one of the world’s worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal. A leak of methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of hundreds of thousands of people. The death toll reached 15,000 and over 1,20,000 people were rendered with lifetime ailments. A compensation of $470 million was given.
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy led to an enormous mass movement with activists like Satinath Sarangi, Rashida Bee, Champa Devi Shukla and Safreen Khan, the 17 year old, who walked 800 km to see the PM. The media coverage it got was also quite manifested, from The Hindu tracking each and every tiny development in the case to the TIME magazine publishing an entire cover story on the same. Hence the Bhopal gas tragedy is one of the few cases in the history of industrial catastrophe that the mankind will never forget.
2. Irom Chanu