Chennai:
Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has found a new set of followers. The People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), which is leading the protests against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu since August last year, has approached the West Bengal chief minister to seek her help in its fight.
In a letter written to Ms Banerjee, activist SP Udhayakumar has invited her to visit Idinthakarai, the epicentre of the protests, saying, "To save the 'ordinary citizens' of our country and to safeguard their survival, well-being and freedom, the country needs the intervention of thoughtful, caring and creative leaders such as yourself."
The protesters hope that she would sympathise with the cause of the villagers since her own government had raised its voice against the Haripur nuclear project in East Midnapore district in West Bengal. The project was stalled after Ms Banerjee's government claimed that it would affect the lives of around 30,000 people in the area.
Taking a cue from her recent speech, where she said, "I will go everywhere in India to protect the Indian business, the farmers, the labourers and the people of India. Everything has a
lakshman rekha (limit), and when it is crossed, I must work for the '
aam aadmi' (common man)," the protesters sought her expertise in their struggle against the nuclear plant.
The Trinamool chief had walked out of the Congress-led UPA government last month in protest of the reforms, including Foreign Direct Investment or FDI in multi-brand retail, introduced by the Centre. The activists in their letter congratulated her for taking a 'pro-people stand' and also for her fight against land grab at Nandigram and Singur.
The Kudankulam nuclear project has been fiercely opposed by the locals and activists who have cited health and safety concerns arising out of the functioning of the nuclear plant. The agitation, which began last year, has pointed towards the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan last year that was triggered by a tsunami. The marathon sit-in protests and hunger strikes, which even saw the participation of children, had earlier resulted in work being stopped at the plant.
Arvind Kejriwal, member of erstwhile Team Anna and activist from India Against Corruption, too had recently visited Idinthakarai and expressed solidarity with villagers.
There was fresh wave of protests after the country's nuclear watchdog Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) gave its go-ahead on August 10 for loading of 163 enriched uranium fuel bundles in the first unit of the two 1,000 MW Russian reactors at the Kudankulam plant. Around 10,000 villagers went on a rally last month which led to tear gas firing and lathicharge by the police after which villagers led a
jal satyagraha in the sea and laid siege to the Tuticorin port as well.
The protesters felt let down by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who had initially supported the cause of the movement, but later did a U-turn, citing that the project could bring relief to the state which is reeling under a severe power shortage.
The Kudankulam power plant is the first nuclear project to near completion after the Fukushima disaster. Some countries like Germany have decided to turn away from nuclear energy and the international community is keenly watching how India handles the rising opposition to the project.