This Article is From Jun 25, 2010

Saviour of Bhopal now battles a dark life

Jaipur: Bhopal gas tragedy is known as the worst industrial disaster of the decade. One can still see the repercussions of the tragedy all over. In the sobbing eyes of the victims' family members, in the various physical disabilities of the survivors, in the government's diplomatic standstill, and everywhere around, marks of that 'dark' day are well engraved. Adequate compensation, clean-up, rehabilitation, and other such critical details debated these days, seem like mere eyewash. The disaster that killed more than 25,000 Indians and injured thousands more for a lifetime has many heart rendering stories hidden in the past.

One such story is of an army colonel who was the first soldier to reach the spot of the gas tragedy on that ill-fated day. Colonel G S Khanuja, who saved many lives that day, is now forced to live a life of darkness. Even worst, it took 15 years for him to receive his compensation

Presently in Jaipur, Colonel Khanuja is suffering from severe chest complications; he has even lost his eyesight. But the unkindest cut is that, even the meager compensation he got was given to him after waiting for 15 long years only when the courts intervened.

Though he can't see anymore, his memories of that tragic night in Bhopal remain strong and vivid. Colonel Khanuja was the first man from the Army to reach the Union Carbide factory with a few jawans and just their hankies to protect them from the spewing venom. Colonel Khanuja and his jawans worked non-stop for over 12 hours and evacuated nearly ten thousand people from old Bhopal. He remembers "People were full of panic. They were fleeing with children in their arms. We helped as many people as possible. I and my soldiers tried to pack in as many people as possible in our vehicles and took them to hospitals".

In just days after that, he had severe lung problems and was hospitalized for a month. He was then transferred from Bhopal and hence, was not considered for any compensation. Later, he began losing even his eyesight. Having run from pillar to post, it was only after moving the High Court that he got some compensation. "I feel terrible that the government has little respect for people who sacrifice a lot to save other people. I don't want to beg them for any compensation; it's for the government to think what we deserve. My request to them is to ensure that all the needy get a proper compensation"

Once a fighter who fought the 1965 and 71 wars, Colonel Khanuja now fights another battle to ensure that the jawans who helped him save lives get their dues.

Call it government apathy, but the truth remains that, it's a cruel irony. The soldiers who risked their lives to save others in the gas tragedy were given a raw deal. And now that the issue of compensation for Bhopal victims is being re-negotiated, one hopes that the government will ensure that brave heroes like colonel finally get the fair share.

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