Ghulam Dastagir

A stationmaster named Ghulam Dastagir at the Bhopal railway station refused to leave his post during the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. During the catastrophe the jam-packed Gorakhpur-Kanpur Express was already standing on a platform and its departure time was 20 minutes away. Listening to his gut instinct, Dastagir summoned his staff and told them to immediately clear the train for departure. He prevented any trains from stopping at the station, saving thousands of lives even as his colleagues started dying around him. He alerted the senior staff at nearby stations, like Vidisha and Itarsi, to suspend all train traffic to Bhopal. Dastagir chose to remain on duty, running from one platform to another, attending, helping and consoling victims. He also sent an SOS to all the nearby railway offices, asking for immediate medical help. He survived the disaster. However, the catastrophe didn't leave him unscathed. One of his sons died on the night of the tragedy and another developed a lifelong skin infection. Dastagir himself spent his last 20 years shuttling in and out of hospitals; he developed a painful growth in the throat due to prolonged exposure to toxic fumes. When he passed way in 2003, his death certificate mentioned that he was suffering from diseases caused as a direct result of exposure to MIC (Methyl Isocyanate) gas. A memorial has been built at platform no.1 to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on the fateful night of December 3, 1984. However, Ghulam Dastagir, who died later in 2003, is not one of them. *A forgotten hero of Bhopal* whose sense of duty and commitment saved countless lives, Dastagir's story deserves to be recognised and remembered by all fellow countrymen.