The violence that the agitation against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project degenerated into this week had an unfortunate ring of foreordination about it. It seemed to exemplify what happens when differences are not resolved through peaceful means. The Union and State governments had made no more than nominal efforts to engage the local people protesting against the project; experts had only made a cursory effort to address popular fears about the safety of the nuclear reactors, the manner of disposal of nuclear waste and the absence of a detailed public hearing; and the district administration had resorted to an emergency preparedness drill whose effectiveness was doubted by many. With the Madras High Court clearing the commissioning of the project, and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board giving its nod for loading of fuel in the first unit, the next port of call for those opposed to the plant’s commissioning should have been the Supreme Court. Instead, a section of the protesters decided to step up their campaign. The apparent failure of the police to anticipate that some protesters may take the coastal route towards the plant resulted in a dramatic confrontation on the beach. The police, who at the best of times need little prompting to resort to force, responded with tear gas and lathis. In neighbouring Tuticorin, a fisherman was killed in police firing.
For a security establishment eager to criminalise the anti-nuclear movement, the battle on the beach was a gift from heaven. But the authorities must treat the unfortunate progression of events as a warning sign of what happens when popular sentiment is systematically brushed aside or dismissed as illegitimate, anti-national or foreign inspired. Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s comment that “foreign NGOs” were behind the protest suggests the Centre has learned nothing. Why did he choose not to name any NGO? If he has concrete information with him, why does he not initiate legal proceedings against those concerned, instead of defaming what is clearly a people’s movement comprising local fisherfolk? With the activists now knocking on the Supreme Court’s doors to revisit the clearances given to the plant, it is time all sides stepped back from their maximalist positions. Even after the first reactor at Kudankulam is eventually switched on, the Central and State governments must respect the right of anti-nuclear activists to campaign publicly and peacefully for the closure of the plant. Equally, the activists — like their counterparts in Europe or Japan — must focus on building public support for their cause in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere peacefully and persuasively and not resort to confrontations.
Keywords: KKNPP, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, PMANE, AERB
I completely agree with Dr. M.R. Iyer. Will you have a nuclear power plant in your backyard? is a common refrain of most anti nuke people. If the same is asked to the communities residing near plants such as Kalpakkam or BARC Mumbai, the answer is resounding YES. The plants have only benefited the people and has not affected their livelihood in any way. I myself am a resident of Kalpakkam and i can vouch for this. Additionally, it is a mistake to equate the villagers with the PMANE. The PMANE are hardcore anti nuclear activists. They are demanding that the nuclear plant be replaced by a thermal plant! The villagers are a group of misinformed and scared people who have been led to believe that they will be forced to leave the place once the plant becomes operational. Only after a few years of safe operation will the villagers realize that they were fooled by the PMANE.
The editorial presumes that the activists are all angels.The agitators
behave as if they are the sole adjudicators of the issue and dangled
the imaginary fears without any basis for facts, logic or science.Has
anybody affected in any way by the nuclear operations in the
country.Was any fishing affected by some of the nuclear power stations
on coastal areas operating for more than 40 years?Where was right of
the citizens, right to duty and democracy when they were taking
recourse to intimidation and blackmailing? They forced a large body of
technical experts, the backbone of the country, idle and rusted for
almost 5 months and nearly imprisoned them in their houses at
Kudankulam.The agitators behave as if they are the sole adjudicators
of the issue and dangled the imaginary fears without any basis for
facts, logic or science.Genuine doubts about the safety of nuclear
power are understandable and need to be allayed, but not this creating
frenzy of the mobs on imaginary fears.
It is nothing but black-mailing .... they first agree to part with their land after taking hefty compensations.... than wait for thousands of crores to sink in erecting the plant.... than try to black-mail Government to extract further more.... Off-course it is all with the help of Anti-Development NGO's (amply financed by foreign sources) and leftist forces..... and leftist leaning media is there to exaggerate their protests... Some days back same thing was happening on Narmada Dams in M.P. till government cracks down on it......
First Politicians gave Coal at throw away price in the name of power,
with zero output in last 8 yrs... But they made huge money!
Now they are giving Nuclear Power to the people, by buying the equipment at extraordinarily high price from different countries where
those countries plan to throw away such equipment anyway.
Moreover they have made close to ZERO liability on these providers in
case any accident happens, all the liability will be on Indian Tax
Payers and of course the local people who will just die for nothing...
in case of disaster...
I still wonder people who are educated how still they can be made
fool, by giving them the promise of few incentives, in this case the
dream of cheap electricity...
I do not think in our lifetime the electricity price will ever go down
even by 1 paisa for people like you and me. But still we will be made
fool by these politicians because of our greeds and these politicians
will keep making huge % from shady deals like these...
If we do not learn from the past, we are compelled to repeat it. The government should pay heed to the agitation from the local rather than to denigrate it. If it decides to proceed with the project, they should supplement it with sound technological proof, as it is understood that TN coast is prone to earthquakes. True the Fukushima incident has reminded us of the grave danger the nuclear power plants possess but it is imperative that we in this era of technological dominance do not curb our development due to public fears. The authorities have a very fine line to tread, if they give in then now onwards every future development will be marred with oppressions from sections of the society. If they decide to proceed then allaying fears surrounding the project with expert opinions needs to be their topmost priority as another mass exodus is the last thing which the country needs.
I cannot agree with your editorial. Even the Supreme Court has endorsed the High Court's decision regarding the loading of fuel for the reactors. The Courts are satisfied that reasonable precautions have been taken by the authorities. India needs nuclear power. Even China is investing heavily in nuclear power. The country cannot afford to stop generating nuclear power.
Most of the readers who read this news item are miles away from Kudankulam or live in a different hemisphere. Can you imagine a Nuclear power plant in your backyard? And read a news item that PM asks who would compensate the victims if there is a disaster. It is a mistake of the fishermen not to have understood Nuclear energy before Fukushima.
I feel that we should have Nuclear power plan in a less inhabitated barren land.
Why is CSP technology not imported into India? CSPs (Concentrated solar plants) don't
need solar panels, but just cheap mirrors and salt. Instead of solar panels which are
more expensive, cheap mirror panels are placed all around a high tower structure filled
with molten salt. The mirrors focus the sun's rays on a central point on the tower and
create heat levels of 1200c (twice the efficiency of nuclear). The fuel (the sun) is FREE
as opposed nuclear (running at only 600c) using uranium costing over 2200crores per
load!. Spain has already set this up in Seville and is reaping the benefits! The salt in the
tower stores the extra heat collected during the day and releases it at night to boil the
water for the turbines to provide electricity at night. So here we have DAY AND NIGHT
electricity with the free fuel of the Sun. This system can be set up at Koodankulam, at
half the cost of the 17 safety measures ordered by AERB for NPCIL to start their plant
and also provides fresh water!
What a turmoil!
Generating electricity is the need of the hour for the nation..we desperately need it.
There is an increasing need to meet our caustic energy requirements. Such protests have
been there when Hydroelectric plants or even Thermal plants were being deployed..My
question- Did those protests change anything?
Talking about disasters,there have been many which rendered miles of land ransacked and
useless- The Teton dam collapse and the Chernobyl disaster are the one's I'm refering to.
We need to make sure that history does not repeat itself. Follow stringent guidelines and
make this project operational. Stopping our own development wont be a solution to the problem.
Kudankulam and Idinthakarai villages are nothing but very small fishing hamlets for years and their livelihood is only by fishing and small businesses only. And their land is only a barren one. The same people who are protesting against the nuclear power project had been poor 15 years before had really made a fortune by selling their land at premium prices which's never heard of in the region. When they make all the riches by selling their lands, they were happy to do so. What were they doing before Fukushima disaster? The moment that happens the protests had been fueled by some political parties and caught up by the protesters. Though the claims of foreign funds are a bit outrgeous, the same can't be ruled out. From where do they get the money to leave their daily livelihoods for protesting like this? This is sheer opportunism for having enjoyed the benefits and now turning the tables completely against the Govt.
For every issue there are pros and cons and so does this Nuclear power project.Its a brilliant write up emphasising that the protestors are the deprived villagers whose lives are endangered since the Nuclear waste is highly radioactive but looking at the brighter side of it, it ensures Power which is an illusionary dream to millions of households in India and will be a boon to them and also revive nation's economy as it will attract major foreign investments in that area which in turn ensures better employment opportunities to the villagers.
This world will face a tremendous consequences by the selfish people who always wants to be luxurious without thinking others.
Gayathri: You say that the protesters are innocent villagers who have no idea what they are protesting against and don't understand the safety measures.
Honestly, do you believe that? Does our repeated history of failure in enforcing appropriate safety measures instil any sort of confidence in our regulatory authorities? We have trouble running our railways, our factories, our construction sites etc. free of accidents. Why should there be an exception just because we have a nuclear plant? Ultimately, the fallout of any major disaster is borne by the poor. They may not have a clear idea of the exact risks involved, but I must say that neither do the scientists, the engineers, and least of the politicians and regulators.
Post-Fukushima, we know that Japan, one of the most advanced and safety-obsessed nation could not manage these risks. Playing down the risks is playing with fire. The TN coast is at risk of tsunamis. And what would you do once disaster strikes?
It is disconcerting that only the poor people of the Idinthakarai area are fighting against the nuclear plant. It is an issue confronting humanity. But, in the political set up of the present day, at least, all the people of Tamilnadu must support the agitators.
When the nuclear plants in Germany are closing down, Manmohan Singh wants the advice of the Germans for running the plant safely. When he can assure the people of Tamilnadu that all is well with the Koodankulam plant, he must offer that help to the Germans to restart their plants.
Anyway, the Koodankulam plant can be commissioned with the co-operation of all the people of Idinthakarai, if the following steps are taken:
1. Those who support the nuclear plant must exchange their land / plot / flat with the property of the natives of Idinthakarai and give an undertaking that they and their descendants will live only near the plant forever.
2. Every State in India must have its own nuclear plant set up within its geographical jurisdiction. All those plants must be set up and commissioned simultaneously, so that the Tamils do not feel cheated.
3. Manmohan Singh must explain before the Public why he and his Russian Ambassador are mortally afraid of commissioning the Haripur plant in West Bengal, when Mamatha Banerji said just one word to them to shut up.
These are normal questions a citizen is entitled to ask and the rulers are duty-bound to answer if India is still a democracy
R.Nadaraasan
This is how a wise men can talk about any people movement since you have a very exhaustive knowledge on nuclear energy. The solution of nuclear power for power scarcity would be a like a plastic the solution we use for scarcity of metals going to harm none just us. What is the growth strategy of a county more than 10 million sleeps without food??? you want to increase it some more as a developing country by destroying nature in the name of science. 'Live let others as well :)
Excellent and well articulated on the issue. Instead of brow beating the issue, the Editorial has rightly questioned the indifference of the government and the NPC in addressing the issue to the local people at large. it is too big a stake in the Indo Soviet relationship that the centre would do everything to get it going. Such is the compulsion,at this moment.
The agitation is agitation for the sake of agitation and they are trying to couch it in the garb of nuclear safety. Everyone is conveniently forgetting that the project has been passed by several safety committees and also by the High Court. This agitation is therefore clearly in contempt of the Court because if they have any problems with the High Court view they need to take those to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, to call this 'popular sentiment' is a bit fanciful, because the actual popular sentiment is over-whelmingly in favour of the Kudankulam project. Except that we are not getting wildly agitated about it and protesting as to why the project is taking so long to implement while all of us suffer power shortages.
This is an agitation where poor people are being influenced to protest on behalf of activists who have not safety but simply trouble-making on their minds.
Wow a well written editorial. The Hindu always stands out from other tabloid media which has one sided views about this project and protest. The government is for the people and it has an obligation to allay the fear of the common people instead of enforcing it their views and action as British did few decades back to our own people. Local people had protested from the beginning of this project, due to many reasons it didn't get any people or media attention as its currently getting since Fukushima incident and the date of this plant operation is very near. As the editorial clearly pointed out, experts only made cursory efforts to educate the local people about pros and cons of this project.
Your editorial is wrong in being so wishy-washy on where the fault lies. The fault lies clearly on the protestors side who have restarted their activities in contempt of the court directives. The orchestrators of this violence must be jailed.
Very valid point.
To all those who are pointing out to the fact that these are 'poor innocent villagers'. Does it not make sense for the government to clear their concerns about safety before jumping in and 'forcefully' functioning the Plant?
The people protesting only want transparency and safety checks being carried out before the Plant functions. Why is the government not even willing to listen to these demands?
Arm twisting wont do any good.
Somehow, I am still to come across a report on safety on these reactors from an independent source. Given India's track record in handling emergency issues and compensation of victims [remember Bhopal], I am not surprised that locals are protesting against the reactor. The plant supporters resort to these techniques to refute claims of protesters :
(1) The protestors are ignorant masses
As regards matters of nuclear energy, I doubt if the responders are any less ignorant
(2) Why protest late?
Why should it even matter when the protests are done. May be the people became aware of issues now. The central issue is safety and environmental dangers, not the timing of the protest.
(3) India needs nuclear energy to sustain growth
India also needs safety of people's lives. And there is still no solution to the problem of nuclear fuel
(4) Fukushima was one-off.
This is still a developing technology. If Japanese reactors can have an accident, so can Indian. May be more so.
Even after the assurances of all the concerned agencies on the safety and security aspects of the plant, resorting to such protests is not correct. If the protesters feel that High Court order has to be challenged, then they have to wait for the verdict of Supreme Court. Political parties should not indulge in fishing in the troubled waters. It is not correct to call such protests as people movement and apart from the centre and state, the other political and relevant aencies also have a part to play in national interst to make the awareness of the common people to understand the real position. Otherwise, it will tantamount to compromising the national interest.
I think the solution is very simple. The Government should relocate the nuclear plant to Delhi, where we also have a river whose water could be used. Since the political class is mostly in favour of this project, as are our city folks, they would all be quite happy to relocate themselves to make space for the reactor. There would be no agitation then, and plenty of development.
The protesters are mostly innocent villagers who have no idea what they are protesting against. They are unfortunately not equipped to understand the safety measures taken by the authorities. But, instead of listening to the court which looked into all these aspects on their behalf, they choose to listen to wanna-be leaders who seem hell-bent on destabilizing the country. This editorial, instead of pointing out how the safety is ensured and reassuring the people, also takes a very weak stance.
Your suggestion for talks with anti-nuclear establishment lobby would be fruitful only when they are fully informed of nuclear energy and come with an open mind to listen,raise doubts and not with a prejudiced mind with a negative attitude and under the captive influence of antagonists whose only goal is to close down the plant.Here it is important to remember that those living in and around the nuclear plant site are not rich people and are wage earners who are monetarily sustained by PMANE.It is also worth noting that they were prepared and meticulously planned and chose the sea route to lay siege of the plant dodging the police.There is no point in blaming the police when some of them were captured and kept hostage and had to face a violent mob endangering their own lives.Hence, it makes sense only to go ahead with the commissioning of the plant and simultaneously trying to win over the people.If we have to convince the people and then start the plant it will be only a mirage.
Dear Friend Ayyappa,
Kindly go through the cronology of nuclear disasters whether it is arms or energy plans (Hiroshima to Chernobil and latest happened in Fukushima (Japan) if not convinced visit Jaduguda from where the Uranium fuel is digging out. If possible kindly, meet your conterparts living in the project areas, protesting people. I am not against scientific development, but concerned on the safty of people liviing around, security of environment, ecology. Are the above examples proves the safty of nuclear energy? Can you agree the example quoted by various readers to justify the nuclear energy plant as even we have witnessed a number of rail accidents we are still continuing rail journey, or air journey. I think, this moment as important to jointly go for an alternative for the energy and evaluate oursleves on how much energy we are consuming per day, going waste.
A well written editorial, the people of Kudamkulam, especially under the leadership of S P Udaykumar is exemplory. This protest started in the wake of the development of an opinion from various intellectual sections that resistance by means of nonviolence is getting loos in India like elsewhere, the example of Narmada Bachao Antolan spearheaded by Medha Patkar, the fate of Anti corruption movement under the guidance of Anna Hazare are the examples of such defeates. The readers can clearly understand the selfless commitment of people joint together in the banner of PMANE at Kudamkulam. Take the case of S P Udaykumar, a nummber of social activists having acquaintance with him told me about his personal life and simplicity, he never like became a attention of media. If really Indians are proud of our legacy of nonviolence and Satyagraha model of protest, every Indian should be extended their support to PMANE. We expect again such columns in the pages of The Hindu group.
The nature lovers not support the nuclear power stations due to the threat of its nuclear waist. The industrialist want more electricity to make production. Every project has its own good and bad effects. Many of common think that the making of nuclear projects not only for electricity but nuclear weapon also. In that conception we need nuclear power stations. But in this case may we want a war to use this weapons of selling it other developing countries. The developed countries doing it now. We need the peace and hand over a good soil and mind to the coming generation we must oppose all the nuclear power projects. we must sit together around the discussion table. Can we start it in the name of Kudamkulam power station and it agitaions?
You failed to understand the adamant attitude of the agitators and refusal to hear experts on the safety and their livelihood. The proceedings of various expert committees give ample proof for their behaviour. They wanted to know the details of the government to government pact between India and Russia. Just few months before they agreed for development projects for them which they seem to have forgotten now. So this clearly shows the direction for agitation comes from elsewhere for different motive. Those who incite innocent villagers shall be punished severely and the authorities should wield a strong stick. One can wake up a sleeping person but not one pretends to sleep.
It seems we are back to square one. Has the apprehension of nuclear threat shrouded over the villagers and fishermen not fully been cleared despite the Centre's affirmation to the contrary? Was it that the vigilance wing was found in dearth of taking stock of the fickle situation while loading the nuclear fuel, let alone the mess the state cops had to reckon with? To cap it all, the central ministers' shooting in wilderness does not earn him any credibility. Blame game may not dispel the air of speculations and suspicions. One feels the ruling dispensation behaves more responsible, vigilant and steers clear of the decks when it is serious in its intent.
Usually people protest against upcoming projects due to land acquiring by not properly compensating, pollution from the industry etc There are true cases of such exploitation. Those who are affected participated in the protest instantly. Kudankulam is a curious case. What differentiates the Kudankulam protest is all these years when it was under construction no one protested, so no issue. Becuase the matter is nuclear there cannot be any leaks it will affect the persons working inside the nuclear complex. So what is this protest for? Even educated engineers who are not from that field may not fully understand the nulcear concept. On what basis fishermen are protesting? I need development, electric power, job opportunities, business establishments to come in the region south of Thirunelveli. My fair expectations cannot be trampled by these protests which is due to instigation and ignorance. Every concept is bound to be harmful if not controlled properly, including excessive protest.
Your argument that people's right to oppose a project should be unconditionally accepted is perfectly valid. However, just think about it: Is it ever possible to set up even a thermal power project without objections from affected people? It is accepted that there are those who are saying that nuclear power plant in Kundankulam is safe, there are others who are not satisfied with safety standards. Hence, your argument that there should be a review of all nuclear power projects is perfectly okay. But if the alternative is no power, is it acceptable? Activists who are demanding closure of the nuclear power project are saying that if it was set up in Delhi or Mumbai or elsewhere, people would have opposed it too. This is a very strange argument. If States with huge coal reserves say that on account of environmental concerns they would not allow mining for selling coal to other States, would they be wrong? Hence we need to be very rational in opposing any project.
It is rightly said that government should respect peoples sentiments. Government becomes sensitive to cartoons in text books but not sensitive to livelihoods of people. Is this called government for the people?
In view of the recent CAG report and its lack of independent functioning mechanism, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and its safety reports cannot be trusted entirely.
The alarming levels of radiation discovered in fishes near Fukushima is an indication that fishermen are the first to get affected in event of disaster.
We have a right to peacefully protest, no one can deny this right except in the time of emergency. But I think for India to develop (not only grow), it needs energy and today there is a need of nuclear energy to run the country. I am against nuclear energy only when we can access some other source of energy easily, like solar energy, or tidal energy. But since we are not doing it properly then I think nuclear energy is the best and the safest option (keeping the future in mind).
Thank you
I disagree with the editorial. Hundreds of nuclear plants have been operating safely in many parts of the world, including India. Protesters are operating under the explicit premise that once the reactor is on there will be radiation leaks, the ocean temperatures will rise rendering fishing impossible, and that nuclear power would lead to climate change. Not true. TN has kalpakkam has a standing example. Fishing villages are right next door,operational. The sandy beaches at the township has the same cool waves lapping the shores. The protesters are seriously misinformed to put it mildly and are not equipped to understand the technical aspects.
Yes, Fukushima was scary. But there were downright foolish engineering blunders, of placing vital say systems such as back power and pumping systems below ground level, that was it.
People's movement has become too common a word these days to stop any developmental project or Industrial project. Unfortunately people's opinion is inevitably swayed only to stop such activity. Politicians use these activists to meet their political end and in such fight, the sufferer is common man because he is deprived of the development. We need to think, in the interest of development of our nation as a whole, if a law can be enacted such that the activism is used to build public opinion only to create, build, maintain or improve any of the establishments/projects and never to stop it. That stoppage should be possible only through PILs in the courts.
The editorial 'The meltdown of reason' wants to make it abundantly clear that instead of making worthwhile efforts to allay the genuine fears of the people in and around Kudankulam about safety to their lives and property, the state and central governments have made use of force against the protesters and provoked them to intensify the stir. In this context, none can lose sight of the fact that there was no symptom of any agitation till the project reached almost the stage of completion and several thousand crores of rupees had been spent on it. At the same time, it does not mean that the government had no responsibility whatsoever to clear their doubts and allay their fears. Eminent scientists, including Dr.Abdul Kalam, have told that adequate safety measures are in place in this project. The agitators can end their violent approach and opt for meaningful discussions. The government too can give up use of force and convince them to avoid further delay in commissioning.
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