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NUCLEAR POWER |
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Civil society hits out against govt at the maiden hearing on nuke power
Many complain that the Centre and the state governments have vilified their protests against lack of safety measures as ‘misguided’
Baba Umar
New Delhi
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Photos: Ankit Agrawal
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It was a unique gathering. Anthony Xavier Amma—a fisherwoman—had come all the way from Koondakulam village, Tamil Nadu to register her protest against the recently-built nuclear power plant while Hansraj Kumar (farmer) of Haryana and Imran Ahmad (businessman) of Rajasthan lamented the harms the proposed and existing nuclear power plants both in Gorakhpur and Rawatbhata are posing to the locals.
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Anthony Xavier Amma had come from Tamil Nadu to register her protest against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant
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In what is being described as India’s first independent hearing on nuclear power, speakers on Wednesday 22 August concluded that the Indo-US nuclear deal is no longer civilian as thousands of people residing close to proposed or existing nuclear power plants across India are facing sedition charges and harassment, while government in the name of jobs, development and power are fooling villagers.
“Over 7000 people in Koodankulam, who have led consistently non-violent agitation, face charges of sedition and war against the Indian state. Similar repression and undermining of democratic norms is under way at the other nuclear sites,” said journalist Praful Bidwai, who writes mostly against nuclear weapons. “This,” Bidwai said, “is besides 55700 FIRs the Tamil Nadu government has lodged against locals protesting against the nuclear power project.”
Bidwai was reflecting the concerns of the local communities and independent experts regarding safety, viability and impacts of the nuclear projects on the lives and livelihoods of the surrounding population and their environment.
On the occasion, people from the opposition movements in Koodankulam (Tamil Nadu), Jaitapur (Maharashta), Chutka (Madhya Pradesh), Gorakhpur (Haryana), Banswada (Rajasthan), Haripur (West Bengal), Mithi Virdi (Gujarat), Kovvada (Andhra Pradesh) and Rawatbhata (Rajasthan)—where nuclear projects have met fierce resistance had come to speak. Noted social activist Aruna Roy, Admiral L Ramdas and KS Subrahmaniam were the jury who heard the testimonies of independent experts and people representing these movements. Former Army chief General VK Singh was also present at the venue.
In her presentation, Amma of Koondakulum alleged that in the past government surveyors never met villagers and passed the site as safe for nuclear power production. “And when we protested against it we were beaten ruthlessly and false cases were slapped against us,” she said, adding, “over 100 people, who are at the frontline of Koondakulum protests, have been slapped with cases which the colonial British had slapped against freedom fighter Subhash Candra Bose. Yet the government says the nuclear plant has civilian purposes.”
Rubbishing Central government’s claims that foreign money was used to provoke protests, she said, “Women and children roll beedis and have been funding the year-long agitation on their own without any external support. Government is lying. Ours is an indigenous movement.”
Nauratan Dubey of Chutka in Madhya Pradesh—where a nuclear power project is being proposed by the government—said by invoking Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act the villagers have expressed their unwillingness towards the project “but the government is coercing us to give in.”
“Chutka has already witnessed a massive earthquake of 6.5-strong magnitude. Now imagine a nuclear power plant comes up and the quake strikes again. It’s all happening because of India-America nuclear deal. At that time the Central government had said that it’s a marriage of world’s two biggest democracies. But we won’t allow this marriage to take place in Chutka,” Dubey said.
Speakers from Rajasthan said the recent tritium leak in the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station exposing 38 casual workers to dangerous radiation has put a question mark over the safety of existing nuclear facilities.
Imran Ahmad, who lives close to existing nuclear sites, said the governments always claim jobs, development and electricity to the locals “which always proves to be a hoax claim”.
“I have worked in a nuclear power plant. Labourers are paid meager wages. And since no industry can come up where nuclear power plants are constructed, locals don’t have many avenues to work in,” he said, adding, “there are several cases in which radiation has caused deformity among children and impotency among adults.” Ahmad said that nuclear plants were erected in the name of development “which one can rarely find in our area.”
In their presentation, locals of Banswara in Rajasthan where four nuclear power projects and two thermal power projects are coming up said those opposing these projects are being labeled ‘Naxals’ and hounded by the government.
“Over 1000 people have been slapped with FIRs for opposing these projects. We are the same people who were first uprooted when two dams came up in the nearby area. Now government wants to take the tribal land to build power plants,” Jewan Singh of Banswara said. He said in many cases, non-tribals are buying land in huge chunks and in turn selling it to power projects, which are posing a major threat.
Noted social activist Aruna Roy, who heard out the independent experts and locals, said she found the government of Tamil Nadu lying when it alleged that foreign hands were behind the agitation.
“During the past 365 days locals who number around 4000 have been protesting every day. Men fish around while women folk roll beedis to fund this agitation… The locals have genuine concerns. The nuclear waste will kill their fish and if deposited in soil will kill their cattle. But only local TV has been covering it while national media has not covered since the peak of unrest,” said Roy. She added that in the name of development, electricity and jobs, “the government is fooling Koondakulam people.”
She said pressure should be built on government over what it is doing to utilise solar energy and how much money is being spent on both nuclear energy and solar energy plants.
Admiral L Ramdas vowed full support to Koondakulum and other agitations. He questioned government over not winding up such ‘disastrous’ projects, which the government has claimed to have consumed over Rs 14000 crore.
“If they aren’t concerned about Rs 1.85 lakh crores wasted in the coal scam, how are they concerned about Koondakulum project,” he said jokingly.
At the meet, speakers said that the governments in these states have vilified these movements as “misguided” instigated by “outsiders” and have criminalised hundreds of locals. They said while people are concerned about possible dangers with nuclear energy after the Japan disaster (Fukushima) in March 2011, the governments have ignored their concerns about nuclear safety and refused to work on documents such as Environmental Impact Assessment and Safety Evaluation Reports.
Baba Umar is a Senior Correspondent with Tehelka.
babaumar@tehelka.com
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