Karat extends support to Jaitapur protests

JAITAPUR: CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI leader D Raja today assured all support to the local people in Jaitapur, who are protesting against the proposed 9,900-MW nuclear power plant.

The two Left leaders visited the house of Tabrez Sayekar, resident of the Sakhrinate village, who was killed in police firing during the anti-Jaitapur protests in April this year. They offered condolences to the victim's parents and wife.

Later, they went around the village and met fishermen. 'Macchimaar Kruti Samiti' leader Amjad Borkar, from the village told PTI that the locals expressed their concern over the harmful effects of the warm water released from the nuclear plant on marine life and how they fear that security concerns at the site will take a toll on their livelihood.

"There are two creeks --Vijaydurg and Jaitapur-- along the plateau, where the plant is coming up and livelihood of fisher folk from Sakhrinate and four other villages depend on fishing in this area," Borkar said.

The villagers who had got injuries during the firing in April, recollected their experiences during the agitation and their struggle against the plant in the past few years.

Karat expressed solidarity with the villagers and said that the agitation of Jaitapur locals will be fought at the national level. "You are not alone in your fight," he assured.

Raja demanded judicial probe into the firing incident and criticised the state government for not providing financial assistance to the family of Tabrez.

"It is a shame that nobody from the government visited the grief-striken family," he said.