The Coventry experiment: why were Indian women in Britain given radioactive food without consent?

In 2019, Shahnaz Akhter discovered a disturbing human radiation experiment from 1969 involving 21 Indian women in Coventry who were fed radioactive chapatis without consent. Shocked by her ignorance of this local atrocity within her South Asian community, she investigated further and found minimal acknowledgment of the women's experiences in a 1995 inquiry. Driven by empathy and concern, especially during the COVID pandemic, Akhter cautiously sought to connect with the surviving participants and their families, highlighting the importance of remembering historical injustices faced by ethnic minorities.

The brave acknowledgement of two participants from the 1969 experiment, who had no recollection of giving informed consent, showcases the tragic oversight of their traumatic experience.

Shahnaz Akhter's personal connection to the affected women in her community reveals the intersection of historical injustice and the contemporary challenges faced by ethnic minorities.

Read at www.theguardian.com