People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)
Idinthakarai 627 104
Tirunelveli District
Press Release
May 6, 2014
A few leaders of the PMANE, S. P. Udayakumar, M. P. Jesuraj, Peter Milton and Antony Kebiston met with the opposition leader of Kerala, Mr. V. S. Achuthanandan and sought his support for opposing the planned KKNPP units 3 and 4 at Koodankulam. They also brought the observations made by the Honorable Supreme Court in the SLP that was heard on May 5, 2014 to the attention of the veteran leader. The PMANE leaders also requested V.S. to oppose the Neutrino project that was being planned in Thevaram, Theni district, Tamil Nadu. V. S. gave a patient hearing and expressed his support to both the anti-Koodankulam and anti-Neutrino campaigns.
The PMANE leaders then met with the Trivandrum Archbishop Most Rev. Soosai Packiyam and sought his support for the anti-Koodankulam struggle. The Archbishop expressed his sympathies although he could not come up with a public statement in support of the struggle.
In the meantime, the Election Commission of India has relaxed the Election Code of Conduct and given permission to the Government of India to sign an agreement with Russia for the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) units 3 and 4 at Koodankulam. The undue haste and hurry of the Central Government and its Department of Atomic Energy in signing the above agreement during the national election time gives rise to fears and suspicions of possible foul play.
There are several outstanding issues involved in the overall Koodankulam nuclear project. First of all, the Honorable Supreme Court is hearing an SLP right now with many serious allegations against the project. And the Honorable Delhi High Court is also hearing a petition right now that demands the basic reports on the Koodankulam project as ordered by the Central Information Commissioner in New Delhi.
Secondly, most of the people here in Tamil Nadu and Kerala oppose the Koodankulam project and the Parliamentary elections provide a platform where they and the rest of the nation could discuss the various political parties’ stand on India’s nuclear policy, and take a stand if the country really needs to import most expensive and dangerous foreign nuclear reactors from Russia, France and the United States etc.
Thirdly, the Government of India has not answered the allegations that they have used shoddy and substandard parts in the KKNPP 1 and 2. Nor has the Government decided the liability arrangements for the Koodankulam project for units 1 and 2 or for 3 and 4.
Most importantly, there are speculations that the KKNPP 1 and 2 are complete failure and the Central Government has not yet dedicated the project to the nation. Nor has the KKNPP unit 1 has begun commercial production yet. There is every possibility that the incumbent government of Dr. Manmohan Singh is trying to help the Russian government and companies and safeguard their profits at the cost of the Indian people’s welfare and security. It is high time, we decided things in India for the sake of the people of India and not for the profit of foreign governments and corporations.
The Struggle Committee
PMANE