[Reader-list] Last day's PR from KKN Celebrations - with the names of imp friends who were present

[T Peter]

New Year celebrations breathe new life into anti-nuclear struggle

at Kudankulam



Press Release: 1st January 2013



·      Activists, struggle communities along with other professionals
from varied walks of life take midnight pledge to fight against the
Nuclear plant and to fight the forces of death and destruction.

·      Trade Unions, environmental groups, human rights organisations,
etc. extend solidarity to people’s struggle at Kudankulam

·      Scientists, senior activists, artists, film makers, lawyers &
other professionals join the struggle on the eve of New Year 2013

·      Night-long celebrations at Idinthakarai beach reverberate the
spirit of resistance, assertion, freedom and democracy



As 2012 came to a close and 2013 dawned, hundreds of people sang and
danced together at the Idinthakarai coast, adjacent to the Kudankulam
Nuclear Plant. Among the thousands who gathered were more than three
hundred people who came from outside the region, to join the local
people. They came to the coastal hamlets around Kudankulam to support
the spirit of freedom, humanity, resistance and democracy represented
by the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE). People’s
movements from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, West
Bengal, Karnataka, Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu among other states along
with activists, trade unions, professionals, artists, students and
others have come to oppose the undemocratic imposition of a nuclear
reactor within two kilometres of Idinthakarai. The local people have
come from the coastal villages of Idinthakarai, Kudankulam,
Vairavikinaru, Kuthankuzhi, Koottappuli and Perumanal.



The movement in Idinthakarai is representative of many people’s
struggles in various parts of the country against the lack of local
people’s participation in decisions that affect them and generations
after them. With promises of dramatic changes for local people, mines
in Jharkhand, thermal power plants in Odisha and hydro- electric
plants are established. However, the experience of the local people
show they are often left in the shadow of such development. This
negligence of people has reached its peak with the bogus promise of
electricity, energy, etc. taking the centre-stage on the issues around
displacement and destructive development paradigm. This is
demonstrated in the villages next to many thermal plants and dams in
Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Odisha and places like Raichur. With
corporations awaiting to grab the electricity generated at the
Kudankulam plant, no different fate awaits the people of Idinthakarai,
Kudankulam and even rest of Tamil Nadu.



31st December in Idinthakarai has turned out to be a memorable
experience for the local people and those who came from different
parts of India. The day began with children from all over India coming
together to paint a mural against the nuclear reactor in Kudankulam.
It was followed by a rally accompanied by music, song and dance
through the coastal hamlets around Idinthakarai. The children took the
lead to assert their right to live a life safe from the risks of
nuclear radiation. With the beating of drums, the Janwadi Sanstrutik
Andolan from Odisha opened the programme to welcome the people
gathered in solidarity at the Idinthakarai Lourde Matha Church.
Despite speaking various languages, they raised a joint voice against
the proposed nuclear plant.



Hajirabi representing the people affected by Bhopal Gas disaster of
1984 highlighted how the people of Bhopal were continuing to live the
tragedy despite all false promises of the government and Union Carbide
(now Dow Chemicals). Many speakers highlighted how, when democratic
people’s struggles were exercising their right to protest, they have
faced difficulties, harassment, arrests and even death. The case of
Sr. Valsa John was highlighted in Jharkhand, who was murdered when she
was leading protests against the usurping of traditional forests of
the Adivasi community for uranium mines. During this process of
protests, they were labelled as traitors, enemies of the state and
most recently terrorists, making it difficult to lead normal lives.
Ashim Roy, General Secretary of the New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI
is a national trade union of workers from varied sectors) affirmed
that it is the duty of the new people’s movements to bring awareness
to the old movements like trade unions, with regard to the assertive
land protection struggles. He reaffirmed NTUI’s support to the
struggle at Kudankulam.



Many speakers also highlighted how many villages across India were in
a permanent siege, with many villages surrounded by the local police,
the Central Reserve Police Force, the Rapid Action Force and other
para military forces. In order to intimidate local resistance,
thousands of fabricated cases are slapped onto protesters, who have to
live with the constant threat of arrest. The experiences from
Jagatsingpur (anti-POSCO struggle), Latehar (Jharkhand), Jaitapur
(anti-nuclear plant struggle in Maharshtra), Chengara (land struggle
in Kerala), etc. have not been different.



Selvam from the Tamil Nadu Eearkai Vyavasaya Sangam highlighted how
the State has been painting a rosy picture for the people if they
leave agriculture and other traditional livelihoods like fishing.
However, speaker after speaker highlighted how various development
projects have left them impoverished as lose access to their
traditional livelihoods and at the same time cannot access the
benefits promised by the State.



T. Peter from the National Fishworkers’ Forum highlighted the
sacrifices the fishing community have made for the greater good of the
country. It was the coastal villages and the fishworkers who
sacrificed their land to establish the Thumba satellite launch
station. But he asserted that for destructive developmental projects
like the Nuclear project, the same fishworkers will give their life to
protect land, livelihood and marine resources. It is a battle of life
against the forces of death, he asserted. Peter also announced that
fishworkers from across the country will hold January 21st as
solidarity day in support of the people’s struggle in Kudankulam.



The day witnessed cultural programmes by Space theatre (Goa), Dynamic
Action (Kerala), Delhi Solidarity Group, Susanta Das (West Bengal),
children’s programmes from Idiantahkarai. The night witnessed songs,
dances and cultural performances that lasted till the dawn of the
first day of 2013. Eminent citizens and senior movement activists
including Dr. Binayak Sen, Admiral (Rtd) Ramdas, Ajitha George, Adv.
Colin Gonsalves, Adv. Clifton D’Rozario, Praful Bidwai, Gabriela
Dietrich, Ashim Roy, Prof. Achin Vanaik, Lalita Ramdas, Wilfred
D’costa, Dr. Meher Engineer, T. Peter, Sr. Celia, Vilayodi Venugopal,
Laha Gopalan, and others participated in the events held at Lourde
Matha Church premises at Idinthakarai. They were joined by eminent
filmmakers, photographers, actors, singers, playwrights, scientists,
and local movement representatives including Dr. S P Udayakumar, Mary,
Malar Manickam, Inita Sahayam, Pushparayan, Milton and others.



During the evening, young activists from all over the country came
together to share their dreams, hopes and aspirations of local people.
They shared their hope that the development process would be more
inclusive and participatory with local communities deciding on their
common future. They highlighted their common dream of more democratic
decision-making and a greater stake for local people in local
development.



For details contact: Magline (09495531555), Bhargavi (09999563950) &
Lakshmi (09791009160)