Defying prohibitory orders promulgated by the district administration around the >Kudankulam nuclear power project site, the anti-nuke activists ventured into the sea on nearly 400 fibreglass boats and staged a demonstration near the spot on Monday demanding scrapping of the project and to commemorate the second anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear mishap.
The protesters were led by the Anti-KKNPP Struggle Committee convener S.P. Udayakumar.
Speaking to reporters in the sea, Dr. Udayakumar said the Centre and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, which were adamantly refusing to provide “vital information” sought for under the Right to Information Act about the project and the additional Rs. 4,000 crore spent on the KKNPP over the estimated cost of Rs. 13,171 crore, were “spreading malicious campaign” against the ongoing struggle.
“Without furnishing the details, the official machinery is diverting the issue by raising the money transfer (Rs. 29 lakh) by an individual from London to another person from this region (Vairaavikinaru near Kudankulam) for purchasing a property. We firmly believe that the work completed so far in the KKNPP is of inferior quality and hence several deaths have occurred in the recent past on the KKNPP premises in mishaps,” Dr. Udayakumar alleged.
He also alleged that the Manmohan Singh-led government, which had miserably failed to protect fishermen from “Sri Lankan navy’s attack,” was intimidating the anti-nuke activists by pressing into service coast guard vessels. “We can never be cowed down by such coercive measures as this agitation will continue with more vigour till the project is closed permanently.”
Dr. Udayakumar said community leaders from various villages in the districts of Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Tuticorin would meet at Idinthakarai on April 7 to decide the future course of action.
Shops down shutters
All shops at Kudankulam downed shutters in support of Monday’s agitation.
Additional Director General of Police, Coastal Security Group, C. Sylendra Babu, was camping at Kudankulam and had pressed into service six boats for patrolling near the area where the protesters were agitating. Led by Inspector General of Police, South Zone, Abhay Kumar Singh, over 3,000 policemen were deployed.
As the agitation was going on, two explosions were reportedly heard at Kooththenkuzhi, a coastal hamlet situated next to Idinthakarai. The police sources said the country-made bombs fabricated in the village had been set off to divert the police attention.
The Kudankulam police, which registered two cases for violating the prohibitory orders promulgated under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code, have also filed a case in connection with the mysterious explosion.
