A Chennai-based rapper has done her bit for survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy.
Sofia Ashraf, whose earlier song ‘Kodaikanal Won’t’ helped create awareness about mercury poisoning in the hill station, is now using a music video to urge people to sign a petition by the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB). The video, called ‘DOW vs. Bhopal: A toxic rap battle’, has gone viral.
The ‘We the People’ petition initiated by the ICJB on May 15, reached a milestone of over 1.20 lakh signatures as of Tuesday, demanding that the U.S. Department of Justice summon DOW and serve a notice to them to attend a court hearing in Bhopal on July 13, 2016. The significance of a ‘We the people’ petition lies in the fact that once 1 lakh signatures are collected, a response from the White House within 60 days is expected.
“Collaborating with Sofia was something they were enthusiastic about given the response and buzz that the ‘Kodaikanal Won’t’ video managed to generate,” said Rachna Dhingra, a coordinator for ICJB in Bhopal.
“Through the rap video, we were able to get word out about the issue and how it still is affecting a large number of people in Bhopal, to a new generation who weren’t aware of what had happened,” she added.
In her video, Sofia raps about the aftermath of the chemical disaster on Bhopal — stating how “the fields are a mess and the meals are less” — all the while urging people to sign the petition, for the ICJB to knock on the doors of the White House for justice.
Subbu, a Chennai-based feature film director, directed the rap video.
While many of the signatures were secured through people who spotted the petition online, and shared it on social media, a large chunk came with the help of volunteers in Bhopal who spoke to survivors and got them to sign.
Published - June 16, 2016 01:01 am IST
