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KOODANKULAM |
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24,000 anti-nuke protestors surrender their voter identification cards
Inspired by the Quit India movement, People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy launches it “Respect India” campaign
Jeemon Jacob
Thiruvanthapuram
The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) on Wednesday 9 May, launched its “Respect India” campaign which they say is a symbol of the people struggle and is inspired by the Quit India movement.
On Wednesday morning, fresh tension escalated at Idanthikarai after rumours about imminent police action against the anti-nuclear plant protesters spread. The PMANE leadership announced at 10.40 am that four armed police vehicle were moving towards the Idanthikarai protest grounds. Around 9000 protesters assembled at the venue within minutes and groups of women positioned themselves in the front gate of Lourde Matha Church shielding the 302 women and 35 men who are on an indefinite hunger strike. “Four Police tempo travelers with armed guards moved into Idanthikarai and reached upto 400 meters from the protest grounds and later returned. We still anticipate police action,” said PMANE leader Victoria Pushparayan,.
Meanwhile, around 24,000 people in and around Koodankulam surrendered their voters’ identification cards to a revenue department official, in protest against Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant and joined the Respect India campaign at Idanthikarai, the epicentre of anti-nuke protests. “It’s a campaign to appeal to both state and central governments to honour our ordinary lives and sentiments for the interest of our country,” said Pushparayan. He also alleged that police was trying to intimidate protesters. “ The Tamil Nadu police have been harassing local people who close their shops in our support. The police take photos, take down their vehicle numbers, abuse and intimidate them,” he alleged.
According to PMANE leader SP Udayakumar, “the people returned their Id cards to protest the government’s callous attitude towards our peaceful protests. We have decided to intensify our struggle in the coming days.”
Udayakumar alleged that the state government was planning to clamp a curfew and had deployed a large number of police personnel in the area. “Now around 3000 police men have been deployed and we are under heavy police surveillance. It’s a war like situation here,” said Udayakumar. According to him, people from 60 villages have signed a ‘No to Koodankulam Nuclear plant’ referendum. “ Our referendum has proved that the governments do not have the mandate to start a nuclear plant on our soil. We have recorded their protest against the Koodankulam plant and going to approach High Court of Madras for a direction to shut the plant down,” added Udayakumar.
He also alleged that KKNPP officials and government were trying to cover up a recent accident at the Koodankulam plant. “In a May 4 blast, two young men, Sivakumar and Esakkimuthu, were injured and were admitted in a private hospital at Anjugramam. According to Newspaper reports, Dr Tamilarasu who treated the men confirmed the accident,” said Udaykumar.
Jeemon Jacob is Bureau Chief, South with Tehelka.
jeemonj@gmail.com
Anti-Nuke protesters to return their voter ID cards
‘We don’t want to vote for a political party that has no respect for people’s sentiments,’ say protesters
Jeemon Jacob
Thiruvannathapuram
Protests against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) at Idanthikarai have taken a new turn. The members of the ‘struggle committee’ of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) have decided to surrender their voter identification cards en-masse on Tuesday 8 May.
“We have decided to surrender our voter ID cards in protest against the callous attitude of both the state and central government towards our peaceful protests. We don’t want to vote for any political party that has no respect for people’s sentiments,” said Victoria Pushparayan, PMANE leader.
According to him, the community elders, women and youth met at St Lourdes Church in Idanthikarai on Sunday 6 May and decided to surrender their voter ID cards. “We will return the cards to the Radhapuram tehsildar. We also request our supporters in Tamil Nadu and the rest of India to return their Voter IDs and register their protest against anti-people government and show their solidarity with our campaign. NRIs can return their Voter IDs to the Indian embassies,” said Pusparayan.
“The situation in Idanthikarai is turning grim as the women on indefinite hunger-strikers are becoming weak,” he added. Around 500 women are on hunger-strike in Idanthikarai since Friday 4 May. A team of three doctors and five nurses visited the protest grounds and examined the women protesters.
“We will continue our struggle till our demands are met. It’s unfortunate that the government is not concerned about our protests. They care more about protecting the interests of Russian, American and French nuclear lobbies,” alleged Dr SP Udayakumar, Convener, PMANE ‘struggle committee’.
Jeemon Jacob is Bureau Chief, South with Tehelka.
jeemonj@gmail.com
Around 500 women join indefinite fast, police block all entries to village
Idinthakarai is witnessing anti nuke protests again, police brace themselves for more people joining the movement
Jeemon Jacob
Idinthakarai
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Photo: Kebiston Fernando |
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Around 9000 people from 45 villages gathered at Idinthikarai to say no to Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) braving police blockade and surveillance. According to Victoria Pushparayan, one of the leaders of People’s Movement against Nuclear power (PMANE), the village witnessed massive turn out of protesters as 500 women joined indefinite fast, which was inaugurated by film director turned political activist Seeman.
“We have completed fourth day of our struggle. In the morning, only 400 women could manage to sneak into the protest venue as the police had blocked all entries to the village and sea was very rough. By evening all the women have reached the venue,” said Pushparayan. “Among the 25 men who are on hunger strike since May 1 are continuing their protest excepting one. Vinoth of Idinthakarai was taken to hospital after he collapsed at the protest venue. He is admitted for medication,” said Pushparayan.
According to Pusparayan, police blocked the entries to the village since morning and protesters were intimidated by the police. “Police also threatened drivers and owners of hired vehicle and told them not to transport people to Idinthikarai. I they dared, police threatened to cancel their vehicle permits and licenses. So, the drivers are not willing to come to Idinthakarai. But we managed to bring a huge crowd through other pocket roads. The police have deployed assault vehicles Vajra and Varun at the entrances of the villages,“ said Pushparayan.
500 women to join indefinite fast at Idinthakarai from Friday
Villagers remain firm on their reluctance to accept the commissioning of the nuclear plant
Jeemon Jacob
Idinthakarai
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Photo: Kebiston Fernando |
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The anti-nuke struggle in Idinthakarai is gathering momentum yet again as 500 women leaders from 45 villages are going to join an indefinite fast organised by People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) from Friday.
Victoria Pushparayan, key leaders of PMANE told Tehelka that 500 women had enrolled to join the ongoing indefinite hunger strike, which started on 1 May at Idinthakarai Lourde Matha Church premises. “Around 500 women leaders from 45 villages have enrolled to join fast. Initially we were not in favour of women joining the indefinite fast. But they wanted to join. We have made arrangements for their massive protest and constructed additional tent to accommodate them,” said Pushparayan.
According to Pushparayan, the referendum in which 45 villages participated from three districts voted the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) out. “We have conducted a referendum in three districts—Tirunelveli, Kanyakumary and Tuticorin in which more than 1.5 lakh people participated. Majority of them said no to KNPP,” revealed Pushparayan.
“Our people are against the nuclear plant. So we have to continue our struggle to stop it,” he added. Bhuvaneswari Kebiston who is joining the hunger strike from Friday told Tehelka that women are going to show the world “what they can do”. “For us, it’s do or die. We don’t care what happens to us. We want to save our children from peril. If the government and the church leaders think that Koodankulam struggle will lose its fire without their support, they are living in fool’s paradise. We are going to prove otherwise with our lives,” said 27-year-old Bhuvaneswari. “We want the plant to be closed immediately and save our lives,” she added.
On Thursday, around 8000 people gathered at the protest grounds to declare their solidarity to the ongoing struggle. Now 25 fishermen from four villages have joined the fast since 1 May.
“Our fight will go on for ever. The sea of people coming to the protest grounds tells what people want here. We have proved that we are not supported by religious groups or extremists. We are fighting for people’s cause,” said SP Udayakumar, convener PMANE.
Koodankulam protesters resume indefinite hunger strike
Protest leader Udayakumar says that they are still ‘committed’ to continue their non-violent protests against the nuke plant
Jeemon Jacob
Idinthakarai
Anti-nuke protesters have started their fourth indefinite hunger strike at Idinthakarai Lourde Matha Church grounds on Tuesday afternoon. Twenty five villagers representing four villages have gone on an indefinite hunger strike. From 4 May onwards, women will also join the protests. According to Dr SP Udayakumar, convener, People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), the people of the affected villages decided to relaunch their agitation against the commissioning of the nuclear plant in Koodankulam.
“Though we have announced that we will relaunch agitation from May, in the morning we decided to delay the agitation for two days honouring the requests of the district administration. But our people were not ready to delay the agitation. They wanted to resume hunger strike at the earliest and we are not going to stop it till the closure of the Koodankulam Nuclear plant,” Udayakumar said.
Twelve representatives from the affected villages around Koodankulam met District Collector R Selvaraj and other senior police officials and held discussions to sort out the Koodankulam stalemate. “When we met the district administration and handed over our demands, they asked us to delay the agitation for two days. We have conveyed their request to the village council members who are backing anti-nuke protests,” said Father Arimavalavan, a priest who led the village representatives.
“But people were not ready to honour the requests of the district administration,” the priest said. PMANE has demanded that the government constitutes an independent and transparent national committee to conduct a study on hydrology, geology, oceanography and seismology of the region and share the report with the local people. Anti-nuke protesters wanted the management to conduct disaster management and evacuation exercises around 30 km radius of KKNPP adhering to the international standards.
“We have listed our demands and now it’s the duty of government to react. We also want the government to share a copy of the secret inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia in 2008 on nuclear liability,” said Udayakumar.
According to him, the fourth phase of the protests will be on a peaceful mode. “Since the beginning, we have been conducting our protests on a non-violent platform. We are committed to continuing our protests on the same line,” said Udayakumar.
Jeemon Jacob is Bureau Chief, South with Tehelka.
jeemonj@gmail.com
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