Ad hoc committee,
Kerala’s Anti nuclear group in support of Koodankulam struggle

Villagers have started a hunger strike at Idinthakarai yesterday, 11th September to oppose the commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear plant. According to reports,Police detained several villagers in custody on the previous day in a preventive move.In spite of this ,about 150 people have started an indefinite fast .Strikers include priests and nuns from the local church.

These villagers need our immediate support ,as they are struggling for the just demand of scrapping a project with potential to destroy entire south India, if there is an accident.It is a project, which endangers their livelihood and even their right to live.The NPCIL is determined to go ahead with the project, in spite of stiff and persistent opposition by the people for more than two decades
The media have blacked out reporting of this major event of an indefinite hunger strike by 150 people, probably due to its sheer callousness, or to censorship in obedience to the wish of the nuclear establishment.As a spontaneous response to the mock security drill,there was a hunger strike for three days in August at the same place, in which more than 7000( yes, seven thousand ) people participated, shutting down shops in the area, fisherfolk quitting fishing in 8 villages and children boycotting schools. Most of the newspapers chose to ignore this event also, for reasons best known to themselves.Yet, these media , hands in glove with the nuclear plant authorities, cannot defeat people’s will ultimately.People knew of Chernobyl and Fukushima in spite of all out efforts by cocerned authorities to hide the truth from the public.

However, all responsible citizens in Tamilnadu and Kerala,especilly people of Thirunelveli,Kanyakumari and Trivandrum districts, which fall within 100 KM radius of the plant, will have to be alert and undertake the responsibility of bringing the strike to wide public attention immediately. Why should the nuclear establishment insist on an extremely dangerous project against the wishes of the people, especially when nuclear plants are being scrapped everywhere in the light of Fukushima disaster?Do we want another ‘Fukushima’in India to convince ourselves of the dangers of the nuclear option? At the same time we have to request the Prime Minister, state Chief ministers and all the MPs, by telegrams, memoranda and mass petitions to intervene immediately to end this fast, by assuring the satyagrahis that the demand raised in their long drawn struggle will be met.

Please write/ telegram/ fax to the PM and other authorities immediately to intervene and to end the strike amicably.

Sincerely,
Ad hoc committee,
Kerala’s Anti nuclear group in support of Koodankulam struggle

Update: 7,000 join hunger strike

(Courtesy: IBN Live)

TIRUNELVELI: The struggle against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) got a major boost on Sunday as leading activists, including Medha Patkar among others from National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) expressed their solidarity with the fasting agitators.

It may be noted that around 7,000 residents from coastal areas of Idinthakarai and other villages observed a massive hunger strike on Sunday at Idinthakarai. When the fast was on, news of support from Medha Patkar among others reached the agitators and it was treated with jubilation. The NAPM blog by afternoon posted a letter signed by Medha Patkar among other activists condemning the action by the local administration for trying to ruin the peaceful protests.

NAPM activists in the joint letter said that though people across the country are against nuclear plants like KKNPP, the government continues to harass and unleash violence on them. The letter also charged that KKNPP, which was having VVER type reactors were untested and hence unreliable. The leading activists also alleged that nuclear program like KKNPP had ‘little transparency, accountability and democratic decision-making’ and added that ‘nuclear business was easily one of the most corrupt sectors in India today’.

“We call for scrapping the Koodankulam nuclear power plants, and safeguard the rights to life and livelihood of our fisher people, farmers and Dalit workers. We affirm people’s right to resist..”, the concluding part of the letter read. It may be noted that the letter was read out among the fasting agitators and the situation turned vibrant. Following this totally unexpected support from NAPM, around 150 of 7000 people who observed hunger strike decided to observe indefinite fast demanding the closure of KKNPP.

Radhapuram DMDK MLA S Michael Rayappan visited Idinthakarai and assured that he is with the people and extended support for their struggle against KKNPP. “I have asked the Chief Minister to allot time for me to talk about KKNPP in the Assembly but no chance was given”, he is learnt to have said at the venue. The MLA has promised to raise the issue at the Assembly on Monday.