My book hopefully prevented other Bhopals around the globe: Lapierre

Bishnupur(South 24 Parganas), Feb 28 (UNI) Celebrated French author and Indophile Dominique Lapierre today said his book on Bhopal gas tragedy has stopped other 'Bhopals from recurring around the globe'.

Talking to the media, Lapeirre said, ''My book keeps reminding the people about the tragedy and the utter neglect for human dignity.'' And then in a sombre tone added, ''It has perhaps stopped other Bhopals happening around the globe.'' Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro in their book ''Five Past Midnight in Bhopal'' looks deep into the Bhopal gas tragedy and its aftermath, which is considered to be one of the greatest scandals of the corporate world.

The chronicle of staggering negligence was crowned by the description of a giant American corporation's utter indifference for the suffering of its victims. Dominique and Javier show how Union Carbide ignored the advice of not to build a pesticides plant handling deadly poisons in the middle of a densely populated city, how its sales miscalculations and subsequent attempts to force its Indian subsidiary to cut costs led directly to the tragedy in which tens of thousands died in the most horrifying circumstances.

The book also brought to life the 'bustees' (slum neighbourhoods) of Bhopal near which the factory was built, their vibrant life and many of their characters: Gangaram the leper, Pulpul Singh the moneylender, little Padmini the tribal girl from Orissa whose wedding took place on what can be termed as ''The Night of Gas'' or simply ''That Night''.

''Sadbhabona Clynic still takes care of the victims there and proceeds from the sales of my book goes for funding that project,'' he said. The Dominiques run the clinic there along with Asha Bhavan in West Bengal.

He further said he was no messiah for the people in this part of the world but 'an instrument of love in the hands of God'.

Dominique came here to inaugurate a school and a mental clinic with funds raised from the sales of Audrey Hepburn's black gown that the diva wore in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.

The dress was handed over to Dominique Lapierre last spring by French fashion genius Hubert de Givenchy when he discovered that some of Dominique's schools were devastated by floods.

Lapierre took the dress to Christies' Auction House in London and sold it for 825,000 dollar last December, which would be utilised to built 15 schools across the state.

UNI