As Mohit Abraham has pointed out in the article “Why Kudankulam dissolved into fission and acrimony” (Sept. 25), the authorities should have engaged the local community from the very beginning by disseminating all information related to the project. Nonetheless, the government did subsequently engage the organisers of the anti-nuclear plant protests. But their adamant and intransigent attitude is puzzling.
R. Ramanathan,
Coimbatore
When the protests against the nuclear power plant in Kudankulam became louder, scientists like Abdul Kalam did try to allay the fears of the locals. Mr. Kalam’s proposal, PURA, did not create even an iota of interest in the people. The scheme was, in fact, described as a bribe.
There are differences on the safety of the plant even among experts, which have added to the confusion. For a power starved State like Tamil Nadu, the plant offers tremendous possibilities but people in and around Kudankulam have been fed on negative images. The wise course of action would be to convene a meeting of all stakeholders and arrive at an amicable settlement. It is not fair on the part of the Centre to allege “foreign involvement,” which only adds fuel to the fire.
A. Michael Dhanaraj,
Coimbatore
Social activists know that with the help of the media, especially television news channels, they can make political parties buckle. One wonders how much the common fisherfolk in Kudankulam know about nuclear power.
It is the so-called social activists who have brainwashed them by misleading them on issues like radiation, temperature of discharged water, disposal of nuclear waste, deficiency of potable water, livelihood, etc. Their genuine concerns on potable water, rehabilitation, good hospitals and roads need to be addressed seriously. But the demand for abandoning the plant at this stage is highly irresponsible.
RajanVairavan,
Thiruvananthapuram
