The ‘voice’ of thousands of 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victims, Abdul Jabbar, the social activist fought for justice for the victims of the world’ most infamous industrial disaster for almost 35 years, is one among the recipient of PadmaShri, posthumously.
‘Jabbar Bhai’ as he was fondly known to Old city residents, had breathed his last on Nov 14, 2019, due to ailments he suffered during 1984 tragedy.
The MP govt in acknowledgement of his selfless services to humanity had conferred him with Indira Gandhi Social Service Award after his demise.
He was 27, did odd jobs including illumination of movie hoardings when the catastrophe had struck the city on the intervening night of December 2 and 3 in 1984. The city was asleep, so as Jabbar, on a chilly night when Methyl IsoCyante leaked from Union Carbide plant. After sensing the red chilli-like odour of the gas, Jabbar swung into action taking his mother to safety and rode around 40km to Obaidullaganj. After leaving his mother at Rajendra Nagar area, he returned to his colony — just 1.5 km away from the plant — to fulfil his duty towards local residents.
Jabbar, however, lost his mother and elder brother on the fateful night.
On the personal front, he lost almost 50% vision in his eyes and had serious lung ailments due to the gas leak.
He, however, took up the fight against Union Carbide in the courts for adequate compensation for around 5 lakh victims and 25,000 who died (as per official records).
In 1987, he had set up Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangthan, a survivors’ organisation demanding sustenance allowance and compensation for the victims, especially widows of the gas tragedy victims. In his lifetime, he imparted vocational training to around 5,000 survivor women so that they could earn a livelihood for their families.
Apart from several agitations organised in Bhopal, he organised protest marches in the national capital, making quite a stir in Parliament.
After the compensation was doled out in year 1989 (though survivors still term it insufficient), Jabbar started focusing on skill development of those who were left with physical ailments after the tragedy. In all these years, Jabbar helped over 5,000 women get jobs through training imparted at his Swabhiman Kendra (an economic rehabilitation centre) in Old city.
