Some Important Notes from Bhopal : The lessons of a Tragedy
Suffocating: unable to breathe; choking
Freelance journalist: a journalist, who is not employed by a particular newspaper, but sells materials for publication to different newspapers, journals etc, as opposed to a staff correspondent who is a regular employee of a newspaper. onset: beginning.
Alerted (him) to: warned (him) about, made (him) aware of.
Stunned: here, 'stunned' means shocked and unable to think clearly.
Bizzare: very unusual or strange.
Mystified: puzzled, unable to understand something.
Racked by cough: suffering great pain caused by constant coughing.
Union Carbide plant: the pesticide manufacturing factory in Bhopal owned by the multinational company, Union Carbide.
Rasping voice: a voice that is harsh and unpleasant.
Staff correspondent: a person working for a newspaper, paid to collect news about and write on particular subjects for publication in that newspaper.
Flashed across: came suddenly (like a flash of lightning) into.
Occasional pieces: pieces = small articles or reports published in a magazine or newspaper;
occasional = from time to time; not regularly. Keswani was sometimes asked to write articles or reports by Jansatta. He was not a regular correspondent or contributor.
The Express chain: the chain or group of newspapers belonging to the owners of The Indian Express. Of these, the most well-known is The Indian Express, published daily from a number of cities across India.
Streaming eyes: eyes from which tears were flowing continuously.
Exodus: the departure or migration of a mass of people from a particular area. Exodus, a book of the Old Testament of the Bible, describes how the Israelite slaves, led by Moses, departed from Egypt and gained their freedom.
Snapped: spoke in a sharp, curt manner; spoke angrily and abruptly.
Concourse: a large group of people.
Homesteads: a house and adjoining land occupied by a family; a farm
Nominal rents: a small amount of money paid as rent. This was obviously a privilege granted to these journalists by the Madhya Pradesh Government.
Trance: a sleep-like state in which one does not notice what is happening all around.
Winding: not straight, but curving and twisting.
Mist: a cloud formed of very small drops of water in the air just above the ground, that makes it difficult to see things clearly. MIC, being heavier than air, forms a mist.
Collapsing : falling down (to) take shallow breaths: not to breathe deeply; to take in small quantities of air into the lungs (so that not much of the poison gas is breathed in).
Despair: feeling of hopelessness.
Dropping off: stopping a vehicle (here, a scooter) so that somebody can get off it.
Formal name: official name, not the name by which something or someone is popularly known.
Swamped: overwhelmed or crowded to such a degree as to become unmanageable.
Intern (s): In India, a medical student, who has passed his final examination, has to work for a certain period as an 'intern' in a hospital and gain practical experience before he can practice as a doctor.
Sorely testing: putting a severe pressure on.
Installed capacity of 760 beds: At the time it opened, the hospital was equipped to admit 760 patients (in 760 beds).
Were to spill out: had to be taken out (as there was no more space).
Morgue: a building or a room where dead bodies are kept before being buried, burnt, etc.
Anonymous: nameless (because nobody knew their identity till then).
Rigours : harsh conditions ; sufferings.
Spittle: saliva ejected or coming out from the mouth.
Contorted: twisted out of natural or normal shape.
kindled : aroused; caused a powerful feeling or emotion to grow (as if he was set on fire).
Surge: a sudden and rapid increase.
Portly: quite fat.
Predicted: forecast.
Shanties: small and crudely built huts or cabins, used for living, usually by poor people.
plugged : sealed, repaired.
Executives: managers and other senior officers of a company.
Corporate headquarters: the main office of a company or organization- the place from where the work of all other places is controlled.
Asserted: stated or declared clearly and forcefully.
Hazards: dangers, risks.
Academic interest: bookish, theoretical rather than practical.
Drenched : completely soaked or wet.
Phosgene: a highly poisonous colorless gas used in the manufacture of pesticides, plastic and dyes. When inhaled this gas can lead to severe respiratory difficulties.
The German Army used in the First World War: Phosgene as a poison gas was used in battle for the first time during the First World War. The Germans used gas bombs against enemy soldiers, which had the effect of irritating the eyes and noses, and causing severe breathing trouble.
MIC : methyl isocyanate, used in the manufacture of pesticides.
Provoked: roused, incited, goaded.
Pay heed to : listen to; pay attention to
Ramblings of an obsessed man: the meaningless or aimless talk or writing of a man who is continuously and unnecessarily thinking of one particular subject.
Burkha-clad: dressed in a burkha, a garment that completely covers a woman and has veiled eye-holes for seeing.
Faltering: stumbling, moving unsteadily.
Bonded : joined firmly.
Initial panic: initial = (something) happening at the beginning; panic = sudden uncontrollable fear or alarm; the sudden fear and alarm felt in the beginning when the effects of the gas were first experienced.
Gathered their wits: wit intelligence, power of understanding. The suddenness of the occurrence had so shocked and confused them that in the beginning they did not know what to do. Now, they were slowly regaining their ability to think clearly and act.
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