Chennai:
Continuing his fast against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, convener of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), S P Udhayakumar, has said the protesters are "ready" for talks.
"We are ready for talks. If we are considered people of this country and if our ahimsa protest is respected, government should talk to us. They should treat us like Indian people," Udhayakumar, on an indefinite fast since March 12 along with his supporters, told reporters in Idinthakarai Village, the epicentre of the anti-Kudankulam agitation.
He said it was regrettable that the government was suddenly "belittling" the protesters by accusing them of having links with Maoists and foreign countries.
Observing that the protesters met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa twice as part of their dialogue process, he said, "Suddenly to describe and portray us as having links with Naxals and as anti-nationals, demeans people who have faith in democracy."
The anti-nuclear activists of PMANE have been on an indefinite fast after Tamil Nadu government gave its go-ahead to the Indo-Russian nuclear project on March 19, after which work at the plant is on in full swing.
His statement comes a day after Home Minister P Chidambaram said there was some ulterior motive behind continued protest against Kudankulam nuclear plant even after experts' assurances several times.
The protesters, however, say they are not convinced that the plant is safe. They are also worried about ecological damage by radioactivity which would affect the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.
The Madras High Court yesterday refused to order the government to lift its ban on public gatherings in and around Radapuram Taluk, where the Kudankulam plant is located. Section 144, which prevents large groups from meeting in an area, was imposed last week by the District Collector.
Work at the plant was suspended in September last year when the Tamil Nadu Cabinet asked the Prime Minister to halt all operations till residents in the area were reassured that they were safe. The Prime Minister then sent a senior minister, V Narayanasamy, to meet with villagers; atomic and technical experts also audited the plant and reported it safe.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa last week cleared the project, a day after a crucial election in the area.
The Rs 13-000 crore plant, being built with the help of the Russians, will see two reactors being commissioned within months of each other. When it's completed, six reactors will generate unprecedented power supply for the state.