Solidarity with the Struggle against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant

Statement in Solidarity with the Struggle against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant

The people’s struggle against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project has reached a critical juncture. While the 15-member Expert Committee appointed by the Central Government met the NPCIL officials for the first time last week, there have been attempts by the top leadership of the NPCIL and the AEC not only to scuttle the consultation process, but also to malign the people’s movement with baseless allegations that it is being instigated by foreigners.

Even before the Expert Committee springs into action, the AEC Chairman has gone to the media claiming that work at Koodankulam cannot be stopped. It is a clear attempt to influence the Expert Committee's work and reduces the whole exercise of consulting people into a mockery. The Expert Committee was constituted by the PMO while explicitly assuring that no radioactive process has started in Koodankulam. The Expert Committee is yet to ensure the representation of Tamil Nadu State Government and the agitating people. We reiterate our demand to immediately stop all work at Koodankulam and conduct a transparent and democratic consultation process.

The NPCIL Chairman, Dr. S K Jain, has also gone to media claiming role of ‘foreign hand’ in the Koodankulam movement. We find this malicious and entirely unacceptable. However, if the NPCIL officials believe that they can keep the people of India immune from the crisis of safety facing the nuclear industry elsewhere in the world, they would only be deluding themselves.

The NPCIL's Russian collaborators are the only foreign people involved in Koodankulam so far. It is shocking to see the nuclear establishment levelling charges of foreign influences on protestors while it has outsourced redundant and dangerous nuclear technology from all over the globe imperiling the safety of our own people.

November 1, 2011

For Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP)

Praful Bidwai

Achin Vanaik

J Sri raman

N D Jayaprakash

Sukla Sen

Anil Chaudhary