Bhopal

For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.

Episode 1. A Friend Dies

Keswani is the kind of journalist who finds his stories on the ground, talking to people in his native Bhopal. One evening he learns from his friend Ashraf, a worker at the Union Carbide chemical plant, that there are regular safety lapses and leaks. Shortly afterwards, Ashraf dies when he's exposed to lethal gases. A grief stricken Keswani decides he must find the truth behind safety concerns at the plant. But when questioning government officials he finds nothing but support for the multinational company that had chosen Bhopal as its base. He hears more worrying accounts from local union officials and when they are published in a small article, retribution follows. Keswani feels sure that something troubling is going on behind the scenes.

Narrator Narinder Samra

Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur

Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee

Studio Mix by Donald McDonald

Producer Neil McCarthy

With thanks to Down To Earth

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident.

The Bhopal gas tragedy was the worlds worst industrial accident. Tens of thousands of people died and many more suffered long term illnesses when lethal methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant in the city in central India on 2nd December 1984.

For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.

Episode 1. A Friend Dies

Keswani is the kind of journalist who finds his stories on the ground, talking to people in his native Bhopal. One evening he learns from his friend Ashraf, a worker at the Union Carbide chemical plant, that there are regular safety lapses and leaks. Shortly afterwards, Ashraf dies when he's exposed to lethal gases. A grief stricken Keswani decides he must find the truth behind safety concerns at the plant. But when questioning government officials he finds nothing but support for the multinational company that had chosen Bhopal as its base. He hears more worrying accounts from local union officials and when they are published in a small article, retribution follows. Keswani feels sure that something troubling is going on behind the scenes.

Narrator Narinder Samra

Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur

Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee

Studio Mix by Donald McDonald

Producer Neil McCarthy

With thanks to Down To Earth

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident.

For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.

Episode 2. The Smell of Grass

Keswani digs deeper and discovers that a town planning order to relocate the chemical plant to an industrial zone, away from densely populated areas, was ignored. Union leaders smuggle him into the factory where he sees first hand the lack of safety controls and general disrepair. He learns more about the chemicals being manufactured as pesticides inside Union Carbide and understands the danger if they were to leak.

He sits down to write his first 'Rapat' newspaper article under the headline 'Save, Please Save this City', and waits for a response.

Narrator Narinder Samra

Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur

Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee

Studio Mix by Donald McDonald

Producer Neil McCarthy

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident.

For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.

Episode 3. Friendly Business

The more Keswani investigates the more he finds a cosy relationship between Union Carbide and local politicians and journalists. He's determined to expose the nepotism he uncovers but yet again, his written warning to the city falls on deaf ears. His friends and family don't believe him either, apart from his wife. Money troubles don't help. But Keswani is sure he has truth on his side, and sets his sights on the highest court in the land.

Narrator Narinder Samra

Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur

Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee

Studio Mix by Donald McDonald

Producer Neil McCarthy

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident.

For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.

Episode 4. Bhopal on the Brink of Disaster

Keswani decides he must get the attention of law makers and show them his evidence. His safety concerns are raised in the State Assembly but the labour minister at the time bats them away giving Keswani the sense that Union Carbide is unimpeachable.

He then petitions the Supreme Court of India, but gets no reply.

Feeling somewhat defeated and with increasing financial woes, Keswani decides to take a steady job at a newspaper in a nearby city.

But soon enough his conscience drags him back to Bhopal where he writes to the editors of national newspapers. He gets a big break, publishing a comprehensive account of his findings in a leading national daily. He waits for a response.

Narrator Narinder Samra

Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur

Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee

Studio Mix by Donald McDonald

Producer Neil McCarthy

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the worlds worst industrial accident

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident.

For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.

Episode 5. The Fatal Night

As the city slept on the night of the 2nd December 1984, a huge leak of lethal methyl isocyanate escaped from the Bhopal Union Carbide chemical plant. Keswani realises his worst fears have come to pass. All his warnings have been ignored and now people are dying in their thousands before him. Union Carbide refuses to divulge what gas has been released and hospital doctors are helpless, not knowing what treatment to administer desperate patients.

After the tragedy, Rajkumar Keswani is honoured with India's most prestigious award for journalism. In his acceptance speech he said he was receiving this award for his greatest journalistic failure.

Narrator Narinder Samra

Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur

Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee

Studio Mix Donald McDonald

Producer Neil McCarthy

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident.

The Bhopal gas tragedy was the worlds worst industrial accident. Tens of thousands of people died and many more suffered long term illnesses when lethal methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant in the city in central India on 2nd December 1984.

For the previous two years one man had been predicting that Bhopal was an accident waiting to happen. Forty years ago this month the Bhopali journalist Rajkumar Keswani wrote his first article warning of the dangers posed by safety lapses at the plant. During a dogged investigation pitting him against political power, corporate money and the indifference of the media and public opinion, he never gave up. This cinematic documentary series tells his story for the first time.

This is the omnibus edition of the 'Bhopal' series.

Narrator Narinder Samra
Written and researched by Anubha Yadav and Radhika Kapur
Music and Sound Design by Shreyan Chatterjee
Studio Mix by Donald McDonald
Producer Neil McCarthy

With thanks to Down To Earth

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident

The story of Rajkumar Keswani, the man who foretold the world's worst industrial accident.