- All-religion prayer meeting held
Bhopal: The city observed the 41st anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy on Wednesday with solemn remembrance events and renewed calls for justice from survivor groups. Thousands gathered across the city to pay homage to the people who died in the world’s worst industrial disaster on the night of December 2–3, 1984.
An interfaith prayer meeting was held in Bhopal on Wednesday in the presence of Gas Relief Minister Dr. Kunwar Vijay Shah, paying tribute to the deceased gas victims. Various religious leaders recited religious scriptures and described the gas tragedy as an irreparable loss to humanity.
Minister Dr. Shah paid tribute to the innocent people who died in the gas tragedy. He prayed to God that such a tragedy should never occur again.
Minority Welfare Minister Krishna Gaur, MLA Bhagwan Das Sabnani, Mayor Malti Rai, Additional Chief Secretary Anupam Rajan, Principal Secretary Health Sandeep Yadav, Collector Kaushalendra Singh, dignitaries and representatives of organizations working for the gas victims were present at the condolence meeting.
Religious leaders Ramesh Tripathi, Bhopal City Qazi Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, Gurvesh Singh, Fr. Alfred D’Souza, Ajay Jain, Shakya Putra Sagar Bhante recited their religious texts and paid tribute to the departed souls.
= CM offers homage
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav offered homage to the departed souls on the 41st anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. He also expressed his condolences to the families affected by the toxic gas leak from the Union Carbide factory during the midnight of 2–3 December 1984
= Torch rally taken out
A torch rally was taken out in the evening by various gas survivors’ organisations, including the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Sambhavna Trust Clinic, Bhopal Gas Victims Women’s Industry Association, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha and others
Participants marched from Iqbal Maidan to Polytechnic Square, carrying flaming torches and placards demanding adequate compensation, medical care, and environmental clean-up of the contaminated areas. The rally started from Bharat Talkies Underbridge and was due to reach JP Nagar Gas Tragedy Memorial although it could not reach the destination due to some controversy.
Earlier in the day, citizens, activists, students, and political leaders paid floral tributes at memorial sites. A two-minute silence was observed at several institutions, while prayer meetings were organised to remember those who perished and those still suffering from chronic health conditions linked to the toxic gas exposure.
Survivor organisations reiterated that despite four decades passing, issues of rehabilitation, long-term healthcare, and justice remain unresolved. They urged both the state and central governments to intensify efforts to address pending demands.
