The indefinite hunger strike in Koodankulam has resumed today after a 2-day break in the view of local bodies’ elections in the region. People from the neighbouring coastal districts of Tuticorin and Kanyakumari have also joined this time. Although the protest now has shifted to Idinthakarai village, around 8 kms away from the reactor site, the People’s Movement Against nuclear Energy (PMANE) has said that if the plant work resumes, “thousands of villager will lay siege outside the plant, come what may.” The movement is now focusing on pressurizing the State Government of Tamilnadu, which passed a cabinet resolution last month after a 12-day long massive hunger strike urging the Prime Minister to halt work at the construction site. Tamilnadu Chief Minister Ms. jayalalita today has accused the Union Government of being unfair to the people and unnecessary blaming the State Government for not halting the work. The Prime Minister, despite meeting and assuring the protesters in New Delhi this month, has supported the project and has sought Chief Minister’s cooperation for the project, reassuring her of the plant’s safety. Amid this political ball-game, there are reports in media about the Nuclear Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) willing to start the reactor as early as November, despite the massive opposition from people questioning the safety, environmental impacts, displacement and livelihood and economics of the project.

India’s dangerous nuclear expansion

Indian government is pushing for a massive expansion of nuclear energy program, aiming a 100-fold increase by 2050. Currently, nuclear energy supplies for less than 3% of the country’s total electricity needs. Experts and citizen groups have questioned the rationale of such ambition. It has been pointed out that the Manmohan Singh government is more concerned about its nuclear deal with US landing in trouble than the lives and safety of its own citizen. The government promised to buy 10,000 MWs each from US and France in order to get an exemption from Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) in 2008 without any financial, safety and viability evaluation at home. Liability issue in India is also far from being resolved with US and other countries, including Russia on Koodankulam, pressurizing India to exempt them from suppliers’ liability.   Last week, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court of India by a group of activists and eminent public figures including former navy chief, former chief election commissioner, former Secretary of Prime Minster’s Office and ex-member of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board. they have alleged that the nuclear liability act, ‘channels all the liability to the nuclear operator (which presently is the government itself) and the victims are not allowed any recourse to sue the companies that supply nuclear reactors and other material. The act under Section 6 also limits the liability of the operator to Rs 1,500 crore, which is quite low, and states that the remaining damage may be made good by the government at the cost of exchequer. The act also excludes the liability of the operators in certain circumstances.”

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