In 1984 I lived in a house just across from the Union Carbide factory in Chholla. The night of December 2 is still fresh in my memory, as if it all happened yesterday. My daughter was just 2 months old then. I was woken up by loud screams. I stepped out to check out what the commotion was all about. What I saw has remained etched in my memory -- there were people running in all directions. It was a particularly cold night, but as they ran away from death, few had the time to put on warm clothes. I had also begun to cough. I woke up my wife and children and started running with the crowd. We did not have any destination in mind -- I doubt if anyone else did. I just remember running and running until I couldn't run any longer. In the morning, I remember seeing doctors giving eye medication to thousands of people.

I lost my mother, brother and daughter on the night of the tragedy. For those in my family who managed to survive, every day is a struggle to stay alive. They suffer from breathlessness and body pain. I lost my job few years after the gas leak.