Rashida Bee, The Voice of Bhopal's Forgotten Victims

By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam

30 December 2025

Rashida Bee, a Bhopal gas tragedy survivor who lost six family members, fought tirelessly for justice against Union Carbide and Dow Chemical. With Champa Devi Shukla, she won the 2004 Goldman Prize and founded Chingari, providing free therapy and education to over 1,000 affected children.

Point:

·         Rashida Bee lost six family members in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and suffered health issues herself.

·         She fought for justice against Union Carbide and Dow Chemical, including hunger strikes and international lawsuits.

·         With Champa Devi Shukla, she won the 2004 Goldman Environmental Prize.

·         They used prize money to found Chingari, offering free therapy and education to affected children.

·         Chingari has helped over 1,000 children with disabilities caused by the gas and contaminated water.

…

On the night of 3 December 1984, a sudden leak of poisonous methyl isocyanate gas occurred at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal. This toxic gas quickly engulfed a large population. 

Thousands of people died immediately as a result of the leak, and millions suffered from long-term health problems such as respiratory difficulties and blindness, developing serious illnesses and ailments.

After the accident, the factory was shut down, but the chemicals stored there remained. Over time, the tanks containing these chemicals rusted, and the toxic chemicals gradually began to seep into the groundwater of the area.

This created serious health problems for the people living around the factory, but little attention was paid to this issue.

Even today in Bhopal, many heart-breaking stories related to the gas tragedy can be heard, along with the stories of the struggles of those who dedicated their lives to seeking justice for the people of Bhopal after the disaster.

One such story of struggle is that of Rashida Bee, who, after losing family members in the tragedy, took on the responsibility of helping others and fighting a legal battle.

Rashida Bee was born in 1956 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She was married at the young age of 13 and did not receive any formal education.

On the night of December 2-3, 1984, Rashida Bee was in Bhopal with her husband and three sons.

At that time, her youngest son was only 11 months old, whom she held wrapped in a blanket in her lap. Her eldest son was 7 years old, and her husband was looking after him. Her third son was 4 years old at the time.

After the tragedy, Rashida Bee's husband and father fell seriously ill, and she had to take care of them alone.

Rashida Bee lost six members of her family in the tragedy. Her family members died from serious illnesses like cancer caused by the harmful effects of the gas leak.

Rashida Bee often says:

"Those who died that night were the lucky ones, because those who survived are dying a slow death every day.

Rashida Bee played a crucial role in taking the fight for compensation and justice for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy to the international stage.

Together, Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla launched a legal and social battle against corporate giants like Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.

They demanded that the company clean up the toxic waste and provide adequate healthcare facilities free of charge to the victims.

They filed a class-action lawsuit in US courts on behalf of the gas victims to seek compensation for the damage caused by the contaminated soil and water.

Despite being the sole breadwinner for her family, and battling poverty and illness, she undertook a 19-day hunger strike and walked thousands of kilometres to pressure the government and the companies to provide adequate compensation to the affected people, clean up the toxic waste, and ensure proper healthcare for the gas victims.

She united thousands of poor and uneducated women of Bhopal, transforming them into a powerful movement that was lauded worldwide.

For their struggle and activism, Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla were jointly awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2004, often considered the "Nobel Prize for the environment."

They received approximately $125,000 (approximately 58 lakh rupees) with this award.

Instead of using this large sum for their personal needs, Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla used the money to establish the Chingari organisation. They founded this organisation to fulfil several objectives. 

The organisation provides facilities such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy completely free of charge to children from families affected by the toxic gas and contaminated water.

Special education and life skills training are provided to children with mental and physical disabilities to integrate them into mainstream society.

The trust also helps children access nutritious food, transportation (to and from the centre), and benefits from government schemes (such as disability pensions and cards).

Community meetings are held on Saturdays in the gas-affected areas to raise awareness about disability identification and precautions during pregnancy.

More than 1,000 children have been registered with the Chingari organisation so far.

Currently, approximately 300 children receive regular care and treatment at the centre every day

Hundreds of gas-affected children have learned to walk, talk, and perform basic daily tasks independently through the Chingari organisation, and many have even successfully enrolled in regular schools.

Rashida Bi herself is a survivor of the 1984 tragedy and has struggled with chronic respiratory and vision problems caused by the gas. Despite this, she remains actively involved in the centre and protests, continuing to pressure the government and Dow Chemical for rehabilitation and compensation.

She regularly visits the gas-affected areas, monitoring the health of the people living there.

Even after losing family members and suffering the harmful effects of the gas herself, she remains deeply concerned about the well-being of others in the community.

…

Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession who writes on women, politics, communal harmony, and Islam. She holds a master’s degree in Education.

URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/rashida-bee-voice-bhopal-victims/d/138234

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