In 1993 a community worker from Bhopal came to England to tell whoever would listen about the plight of the survivors. Almost a decade after the gas disaster, more than 100,000 people in the city were seriously ill, unable to earn a living. Many were starving. Every day someone died, yet there was no proper medical treatment for the victims. The survivors organisations knew of my fundraising work with Amnesty and asked if I would raise funds to open a free clinic in Bhopal.

For months, Raghu Rai’s tender and appalling picture of a baby's burial stared at me from my office wall. I couldn't find words to go with it. Finally, with the 10th anniversary of the disaster approaching, I wrote a double page ad and took it to Carolyn McCall at The Guardian, explaining that we hadn’t a penny, but the appeal was so important that she had to publish it. The generous Guardian readers gave enough for the Bhopalis to be able to buy a building, and hire and begin training staff.

The Sambhavna Clinic – the name means 'possibility' – offers modern medicine in combination with yoga and ayurvedic herbal treatment. Allopathic and ayurvedic doctors discuss cases together and the shared approach has produced astonishing results. The clinic also does community work and research. Studies have been published in journals like JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2002, Sambhavna won the Margaret Mead Award which is given to small groups of people who make a big difference in the world.

In 2005 Sambhavna opened a new purpose-built clinic in two acres of medicinal herb gardens. The new ecologically-designed building will enable them to treat three times as many people. It was made possible by a gift from the Fondation Pro Victimis of Geneva and the support of good friends the French writer Dominique Lapierre and his wife Dominique.

My involvement with the Bhopal issue was as a volunteer for the first ten years and afterwards as a consultant to the Medical Appeal. After a decade and a half it is time to hand over to a new team. I would like the chance to use what I have learned with groups doing human rights, medical and environmental work in other parts of the world.

Information about Sambhavna and the Bhopal Medical Appeal can be found at www.bhopal.org

Bhopal isn't only about charred lungs, poisoned kidneys and deformed  foetuses. It's also about corporate crime, multinational skullduggery, injustice, dirty deals, medical malpractice, corruption, callousness and contempt for the poor. Nothing else explains why the victims' average compensation was just $500 for a lifetime of misery. Yet the victims haven't given up. Their struggle for justice and dignity is one of the most valiant anywhere. They have unbelievable energy and hope. the fight has not ended.  It won't, so long as our collective conscience stirs. OUTLOOK INDIA, 2002  

We may be poor,
we may be sick,
we may be tired,
but we have the right to live. 

Song of the Bhopali women during the "Right to Live" dharna (sit-in), February 2007

Hunger strikers celebrate victory after 15 day fast - March 2007

Shanta Bai dances in the street, March 2007

March 2007. Long evenings at the "Right to Live" sit-in

March 4, 2007. Survivors at the sit-in celebrate a black Holi

February 2007: Nawab bhai, on the torchlight "Right to Live" march

February 2007: Sathyu sings, Jagarnath plays the dholak at the sit-in

January 2007: Protest against Tata attempt to get Dow off the hook

December 2006: 22nd anniversary procession

November 2006: Bhopalis picket chemical industry conference

November 2006: Bhopalis at IndiaChem 2006

June 2006: Protest against Cherokee ploy to help Dow evade liability

May 2006: US protests during Dow AGM

April 2006: Extradite Anderson call in Cincinnati

March 2006: Champa Devi rests sore feet

March 2006: Rasheeda Bee on the long walk to Delhi

February 2006: Chhote Khan ready to walk 800 kilometers