Anti-Kudankulam protesters oppose Kalam as mediator

Nedumaran says he shouldn't allow himself to be used as a tool

Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P. Nedumaran has condemned the Central Government's efforts to use former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, as mediator to talk to the protestors in Kudankulam to make them withdraw the protest. The former President has volunteered to talk with the leaders of the agitation to resolve the issue.

Addressing a protest meeting against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Project here on Saturday, Mr. Nedumaran said, “Mr. Abdul Kalam is a nice man and we have great respect for him. But he has a greater responsibility when it comes to Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project and should not let himself become a tool in this gamble where thousands of people live in fear.”

He further said that the continuous protests by the people in Idinthakarai had led to awareness among a large number of people which had led to protests across the State.

He also said that according to experts, if there was a blast in the Kudankulam plant it would affect the nearby district of Madurai as also Thiruvananthapuram.

He condemned the Centre for going ahead with the project even after the Tamil Nadu Cabinet passed a resolution urging the Centre to halt the work on the KKNPP until the fears of local population over the safety of the plant were allayed. Mr. Nedumaran said that the protests would continue till the project was abandoned by the Centre.

Henri Tiphagne, executive director, People's Watch said that the government was trying to suppress the democratic forms of protest against the nuclear power project.

The protest was organised by People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy and People's Watch.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/article2601814.ece