Last Friday, a group of about 50 undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and community members came together at the University of Massachusetts campus center to mark the 26-year anniversary of the industrial disaster at a Union Carbide-owned pesticide factory in Bhopal, India.

The group assembled and screened the documentary “Bhopali,” which examines the lives of second-generation children born to parents affected by the disaster and the continuing health effects the people of Bhopal endure due to contaminated groundwater. According to organizer Paul Penchalapadu, a Harvard University researcher and Pioneer Valley resident, the group preceded and followed the screening with discussion of the tragedy and its continuing relevance.

The Bhopal disaster occurred when the Union Carbine plant suffered a chemical explosion, leeching some 27 tons of highly-volatile methyl isocyanate (MIC) into the heavily urbanized surrounding area and its groundwater. According to Penchalapadu’s figures, some 8,000 residents died in the next three days, with another 500,000 injured or made ill.

In 1989, the Indian government and Union Carbine, now owned by industrial giant Dow Chemical, settled out of court, with Union Carbine agreeing to pay out $470 million to victims, equating to about $300 to $500 per family.

At Friday’s event, the students, faculty and community organizers announced the formation of a new Amherst chapter of the Association for India’s Development (AID). AID is, according to Penchalapadu, a volunteer movement promoting sustainable, equitable and just development.”

AID, he continued, “supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as agriculture, energy, education, health, livelihoods, natural resources, including land and water, women’s empowerment and social justice.”

-Collegian News Staff