Anti-nuke protestors extend fast; not to campaign against parties

CHENNAI: Protestors at Idinthakarai village near Kudankulam where a 2,000mw nuclear power plant is ready for commissioning have decided to continue their fast to get the Centre and state governments to scrap the project. But the protestors will not follow Team Anna’s style of campaigning against any political party for the upcoming local body elections in Tamil Nadu.

The fast was to have ended today, its third day, but a meeting convened by the organisers that include NGOs, civil groups and religious leaders have decided to continue the fast until the state and central governments budge.

“Our demand was that the central government should honour the Tamil Nadu cabinet resolution to halt work at the Kudankulam nuclear plant, and the state government to follow up on the matter. Since neither has happened, we will continue the fast. Not honouring the cabinet resolution is like cheating the people who are on fast”, M Pushparayan, convenor of the Coastal People’s Federation, one of the groups that are leading the struggle against the nuclear plant, told ET.

On fast at Idinthakarai are 106 people, including three parish priests, 22 women and two physically challenged men.

Pushparayan said the protestors would not campaign against any political party for the forthcoming civic polls in Tamil Nadu, nor field their own candidates to take on candidates of political parties. “We expect all political parties to come to our help to get the nuclear plant scrapped, and we do not plan to oppose their candidates in the local body elections”, Pushparayan said.

While the protests have so far been held in front of the 105-year-old Our Lady of Lourdes Church at Idinthakarai, the protestors have given their movement a multi-religious character by organising a yaga at the Vishwamitra temple at Thillavanamthoppu, and are planning a prayer meeting at a dargah at Vijayapathi.

While schools had not been functioning in the area when a longer fast was undertaken in September, students of classes 10 and 12 have gone back to school now, and community leaders have made it optional for other students to go to school while the protests are on. The fishing community that comprises a majority of the local population are also restricting work to provide moral support for those on fast. “We are risking our lives, jobs and livelihoods, and we want the state and central governments to respect our concerns”, Pushparayan said.

In September, 127 villagers had undertaken a 12-day fast at Idinthakarai against the nuclear power plant, which forced the state government to pass a cabinet resolution asking the centre to temporarily halt work at the nuclear power plant, which is an

Indo-Russian venture established at an outlay of Rs 13,000 crore.