Sunil Verma Biography 
Sunil Verma – a victim of Bhopal disaster of 1984, was a social activist and campaigner for the rights of victims affected by the Bhopal disaster. A survivor and leading campaigner for victims of the 1984 Bhopal chemical gas leak, Sunil Verma died of an apparent suicide on 16 August 2006. He formed the ‘Children against Carbide Organization’ in 1987. He also testified in a case against the company, one year before he started the organization.
Sunil was born in 1972 in a carpenter family in JP Nagar, near the plant run by Union Carbide. When the gas plant leaked in 1984, he got separated from the family. Affected by the poisonous gas he was admitted to Hoshangabad, about 70km from Bhopal and was recovered. He returned to his hometown only to find that he lost everything! He lost all his family members including his parents and 5 siblings, except two siblings. He, one brother and one sister were the only survivors. The poor children lived on the help provided by neighbours for a short period and later Sunil’s siblings moved to a shelter home, while Sunil continued with his studies.
In 1995 he was chosen to lay the foundation stone for the first People's Clinic in Bhopal for the victims of the tragedy. ‘Children against Carbide Organization’ in 1987 was started to fight for justice for the affected victims, which involves compensation and health. Sunil’s health also started deteriorating. In 1989, when Indian government settled outside court, Sunil travelled to UK to mobilize support against the settlement, for which he was arrested. They settled with US$2,200 from the claims, the money with which he started a business to end up in loss.
He worked as a volunteer at the Sambhavna Trust Clinic for survivors and toured across India speaking about their needs and justice. He sat on hunger strike in Bhopal for six days in 2003 demanding the promised jobs for victims. He suffered from insomnia in the late 1990s and even tried to commit suicide several times, which he succeeded in 2006. He hanged himself and was found dead wearing a T-shirt that read - “No More Bhopals.”
Published: N/A
Updated: November 29, 2015
