An Appeal to Ms. Jayalalita on Koodankulam: Admiral Ramdas

Km Jayalalithaa
Hon Chief Minister Tamil Nadu

AN APPEAL TO REASON AND FAIRPLAY

The struggle against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant has been going on now for the past seven months and has been a remarkably orderly, peaceful and non violent protest against the commissioning of the plant. The people in the neighbourhood have raised legitimate fears against the commissioning of the plant without it being properly tested and the people taken into confidence and being involved in safety drills as per IAEA and AERB norms.

Despite repeated questions from the people with regard to its safety, and the conduct of requisite safety drills at levels one, two and three, no drills have been carried out so far. Merely re-emphasizing and pronouncing that the plant is safe will not do, unless it is proved to be so.

Instead of allaying the fears of the people on all these fronts the administrative machinery seems to have resorted to fair or foul means to intimidate, implicate and harass the coordinators of the protest, namely Dr Uday Kumar, Mr Pushparayan and others on one absurd charge after the other . The latest is one of attempted murder after whipping up passions to attack the lady Sarpanch of Idinthakarai.

The anger and growing frustration of the authorities is manifesting itself in completely unacceptable actions on the part of a so-called democratic system. Such actions only further aggravate an already difficult situation wherein no one, least of all the NPCIL, seem to be at all concerned about the real dangers of taking short cuts to commission the plant.

It is therefore with a heavy heart that I write to request the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to restrain the police in her state, and the Home Minister and the Prime Minister to refrain from using Nazi like strategies to silence and divide peoples voices. A dialogue, together with transparent and diligent observance of all drills and safety features and precautions as per IAEA norms are a must before KKNPP is made operational.

Sincerely Yours
Admiral L Ramdas

Dr Man Mohan Singh – Hon Prime Minister
Shri Chidambaram – Hon Home Minister

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