Surviving Bhopal : Dancing Bodies, Written Texts, and Oral Testimonials of Women in the Wake of an Industrial Disaster

This book explores the nature of women's activism in the broader context of the economic and medical rehabilitation of the survivors of the horrific Bhopal Gas Tragedy. On December 2-3, 1984, India witnessed arguably the world s worst industrial disaster in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, which continues to this day as an economic, medical, environmental, and political disaster. Surviving Bhopal draws on oral testimonials of the affected community and analyzes the cause and aftermath of the disaster from the perspective of those who suffered the severe consequences of systemic failure and travesty of justice. The event resulted in a resistance movement, led by women, against corporate and state power. Mukherjee explores the underlying gender politics, showing how activism challenged and redefined the contemporary model of development. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-16 The Killer Factory: A Disaster Waiting to Happen....Pages 17-39 Monstrous Memories: “Reliving” the Night of the Disaster....Pages 41-59 Bhopal Lives On: The Many Faces of the Continuing Disaster....Pages 61-80 Women as Bread Earners: Shattered Lives and the Relentless Struggle for Survival....Pages 81-100 “We Are Flames Not Flowers”: The Inception of Activism....Pages 101-129 “No More Bhopals”: Women’s Right to Knowledge and Control of Their Bodies....Pages 131-157 “Dancing in the Streets”: Protest, Celebration, and Modes of Self-Expression....Pages 159-184 Back Matter....Pages 185-212