Koodankulam – Way Out of the Nuclear Mess

M.G.Devasahayam
Convener, Experts Team of the Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)

The mess that Kudankulam now is entirely the creation of Government of India and Government of Tamil Nadu due to their arrogant, arbitrary and autocratic methods giving scant respect and regard to the voices if the very people who voted them to power. Instead of entering into dialogue with the protesting public to “ally their fears ” as promised, these governments sent ‘Sarkari Scientists’ who only printed reams of paper and gave it as expert opinion. When people asked for their voice to be heard it was responded with hundreds of criminal cases of sedition and ‘waging war against the state’. When people still persisted police brutality was let loose on women and children sitting on beach sands, peacefully protesting against ‘fuel loading’ in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP).

Actually the three officers in charge of the situation – the DIG, the SP and the District Collector – showed restraint. It was IG Police Rajesh Das who landed up out of nowhere, gave the protesters 10 minutes to disperse and when they refused, ordered lathi charge and tear gas shelling. The men jumped into the sea; but women and children could not and were beaten up. This IG is the same man responsible for the firing on innocent Dalits at Paramakudi last year. He is stated to be incapable of handling sensitive situations.Yet he has been unleashing terror among the harmless villagers and hunting down SP Udayakumar, the PMANE coordinator, as if he is an international terrorist. One wonders as to whether Rajesh Das is taking orders from the autocratic Russian masters or the democratically elected Government of Tamil Nadu.

Police is using the High Court order as a cover for indulging in brutality. The fact is that there have been several bizarre, irregular and illegal happenings connected with KKNPP from the very beginning. What baffles me is the clearance given for fuel loading and the nuclear establishment going ahead with this ‘commissioning process’ despite the scathing report of Comptroller & Auditor General of India about ‘lapses in safety measures’ by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) posing “grave threats.” CAG, the highly regarded constitutional watchdog has highlighted several lapses by AERB: Non-preparation of a nuclear and radiation policy; No safety documents as recommended by two expert committees; No decommissioning plan which is extremely critical for public safety; Non-adoption of international safety standards and practices.The Nuclear Power Corporation of India themselves have said that they are yet to implement the 17 safety measures recommended by the post-Fukushima taskforce. The environment clearance was given way back in 1988. There’s no fresh water near the site. Yet High Court has passed the order ignoring all these critical issues. The case is now in the Supreme Court