Mormor to Bhopal, after six years!

Update January 1, 2016

Yes, I have been to Bhopal!!! I invited the ambassador to the wedding. She understood the importance of my visit to Bhopal, and obtained permission for me to go to Bhopal "of strict personal reasons". Three days after the wedding, they called from the embassy and told me. In December, I spent three weeks with my granddaughter, together with her husband in her new home. Many dinners and teas were spent in her uncles' and aunts' houses. I took 7/9 grandchildren to the entertainment park People's mall. 16 of us went by bus 15 hours to Agra and then back again. We went to weddings and other family events. I had lots of time to enjoy my family and all the children (nine, between 3 and 22).
Yes, of course I also visited my friends at Sambhavna Trust and Chingari Trust. I have known them for 31 years, followed their work. I did come up with ideas like the health booklet when Sambhavna started. But I cannot contribute very much now, except share my appreciation of the work done at these to trusts.

When my book The Bhopal Saga was launched in 2004, my project was over. I have tried to follow the work, but it is not easy from a distance. Websites in English are not always very updated. It happens that I am asked to write something or talk - but it's only from my book, no new material. The reason why I continued to go to Bhopal after 2004 was solely my family.

I still don't know if I am removed from the black list. This might have been a one time event - but I hope not. It will take many years until the smaller children are old enough to come here - and by then, I might be too old to receive them.

This is the farewell at my train when I left for home in 2009. Some children are at home. You see how sorry they all look!

Update March 28, 2015. Date for my granddaughter's wedding is decided. October 10. I would have prefered that she had waited - but what can I do from this distance? However, I have met her fiancé's mother who is a very nice woman, educated, working. So I have hope that my granddaughter will continue her studies. She changed to biochemistry, which suits her much better than dentistry. She was allowed to count her earlier studies, so she already has a BA.

The big question is - will I be allowed to participate in the wedding? It would be a very big sorrow if I could not. We are very close to each others, and I really want to be present. Also, of course, I want to meet everyone of my Bhopali family. I am missing this strange country of India also. It cannot be that I will never go there again!

Update Aug 28, 2014. In May, we met in Kathmandu, Nepal - nine persons from my Bhopali family and four from Sweden. We stayed with a family of four, so together we were a big family of 17 persons. It was so nice! Specially to meet the small children who did not really remember me. Just being together was such a good thing for us all. It was a holiday for them (they are not used to travel). Bathing with elephatns in Chitwan was very appreciated.

Newly, my eldest granddaughter was engaged to be married. I am very happy that she choose the boy herself. It is also a suitable family for her - the mother is educated and has a job, and they are part of the same community.

It is not decided when they are going to marry. They are both students. Also, we would think it terrible if I could not be present. Really terrible! Please GoI - let me visit India at least this single time, the marriage!


Update Febr 26, 2014. No - I have not tried to contact Indian authorities since autumn 2013. They did not respond then. But I just said goodbye to two of my "grandchildren". They were supposed to visit me last summer, but did not get passports in time. Finally, during our dark, snowless and grey winter, they came. So marvellous to meet them, being together in every day's life, have time for long talks! 

Next step is to meet all of us in Nepal. Around 15 people will travel in 2-3 days from Bhopal to Katmandu, where we will rent a villa and stay a few weeks together. I am very much looking forward to meeting the small children!

Yes - I pay all the travels, as well as contribute to studies for some grandchildren.

Mormor = mother's mother. It is as a grandmother I want to visit Bhopal in India, and it is as a grandmother I want to get rid of the ban that the Government of India has laid upon me.

My book about the Bhopal tragedy, The Bhopal Saga, was published in 1994. Since then, I have more or less finished my engagement in the case. The reason why I have continued to travel to Bhopal has been exclusively the family that adopted me as a grandmother. But in 2007 my troubles to get visa started. In January 2010, in spite of a proper visa, I was sent back by the same plan - not even allowed to enter the soil of India. Although I have contacted the ambassador several times, I get no explanation, no answer. You can read my sad story in the blog at my website.

My eight Indian grandchildren are:

- Fairy, girl, 19 in November 2012. Studying to become a dentist. She was 1 year when I first met her, and we have a very special relation. She has visited me in Sweden two times. Her studies are supported by me and a friend of the family. She hopes to get scholarships later. She also does Indian dancing, very good.

- Rohaan, her brother, 15. As he is a clever student as well as clever sportsman, he has got a scholarship for a boarding school. Thus he has been travelling within India for some matches.

- Tabna, cousin, 15. Intelligent girl who does her best in school.

- Marlene, her sister, 10. 

- Their cousin Yasfee, 9, her little sister, 6 and the last child Ataa, a boy born in August 2012.

- Their cousin Mahini, 9, and her little brother Affi, 6.

We are planning that the three oldest children will visit me within in 2013. I am happy to have got a part time job, as I need to save money for this. But it will take a very long time until the small children come here - and by then, they will have forgotten me. Also, because of increasing oil prices, we don't know if it will be possible.


MIN BHOPAL-HISTORIA

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När andra reser till sina sommarställen eller till Thailand så reser jag till Indien. Sedan 1994, då jag var där första gången, har jag rest tillbaka minste en gång varje år.

Hur blev det så? År 1994 kom det en inbjudan till Läkare för Miljön att delta i en internationell medicinsk kommission som skulle granska efterspelet till den stora gaskatastrofen i Bhopal 1984. Att jag, en vanlig distriktsläkare utan forskningserfarenhet, nappade på detta berodde dels på att jag nyligen brutit upp från mitt tidigare liv och inte hade några band, dels att jag blev uppmuntrad av en av lärarna på Nordiska högskolan för folkhälsovetenskap (NHV) i Göteborg, där jag då gick ett antal kurser.

Jag var med i kommissionen, skrev en enkel rapport. Men läraren fortsatte uppmuntra mig, och nästa vinter reste jag tillbaka på ett litet stipendium. Som tolkhjälp fick jag en ung flicka. Hennes familj bjöd in mig till te eller middag mest varje dag, och till slut var jag "family member". Så det var bara att fortsätta komma dit ...

För att kunna göra min masters-uppsats om Bhopal började jag samla allt material om katastrofen som jag kunde hitta. Jag systematiserade detta och använde mig av olika utvärderingsinstrument. Det blev en uppsats, men det fanns för mycket material. Lagom till 20-årsdagen 2004 släpptes min bok The Bhopal Saga - Causes and Consequences of the World's Largest Industrial Disaster. Den är en uppslagsbok för den som vill veta mer.

Jag följer vad som händer i Bhopal, även om jag inte är så aktiv längre. Jag följer också en del annat som händer i Indien. Då och då blir det en blogg.

Mina vistelser i Bhopal har ändrat karaktär. Numera kan jag bo i gästrummet på "nya" Sambhavna i stället för på hotell. Där har jag tillgång till den stora trädgården, som kontrast mot trängseln och ljudnivån i "verkliga" världen i den gamla stadsdelen. Jag följer arbetet på kliniken och ser hur det utvecklas över åren. Här bedrivs västerländsk och ayurvedisk medicin sida vid sida. Från att endast ha riktats sig till de överlevande erbjuder man nu vård också till dem som bor i områdena med förorenat vatten från fabriken. Ytterligare en "filial" är Chingari trust, som ger habilitering till barn från detta område.

I samband med besöket 2011 skulle jag vara resursperson vid Bhopal2011. Arkitektstudenter arbetade under två veckor med planerna att transformera fabriksområdet till ett minnesområde för alla berörda. Indiska regeringen finansierade - jag var trodde nya tider stundade.

Men där bedrog jag mig. Sedan 2008 har jag haft svårt att få visum. Denna gång fick jag mitt visum lätt, men blev i stället avvisad på New Delhis flygplats och satt på vändande plan. I skrivande stund vet jag inte när och om jag kan återvända.

Min familj har vuxit. Jag har numera 9 "barnbarn" varav den äldsta flickan besökte mig sommaren 2008, endast 14 år gammal. I februari 2011 skulle jag satt en studentmössa på hennes huvud, i samband med att skolans avgångsklasser ordnar en galaföreställning där hon ska dansa. Men därav blev intet. Det yngsta är fött i augusti 2012 - kommer jag någonsin att få träffa honom?


LÄS MER

Min hemsida med ett antal länkar
Bhopal disaster i engelska Wikipedia
IMCB (International Medical Commission on Bhopal) i engelska Wikipedia
Bhopal i svenska Wikipedia

Artiklar på svenska:
Bhopal - orsaker och konsekvenser av världens största industriolycka  U-bullen 2/2005
Svensk läkare har skrivit en bok om giftkatastrofen i Bhopal 2004-12-09
100 000-tals med kroniska skador får fortfarande ingen behandling 49/1999

Annat om Indien:
Toxics.link
Centre for Science and Environment
India Together    

Updated 29.10.2012

http://intressant.se/intressant