Letter to PM from the "Koodankulam Children"

[Pushparayan M]

December 26, 2011

 

The “Koodankulam Children”

Koodankulam

Tirunelveli District

Tamil Nadu

Email: kooda...@yahoo.com

 

The Honorable Prime Minister of India

New Delhi 110 001

India

 

Your Excellency:

 

Greetings! We, hundreds of thousands of “Koodankulam Children” who will be the worst victims of a natural or human error or manmade disaster at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), would like to appeal to you to scrap the KKNPP project immediately.

 

We, the future leaders of India, are so sad to see that our present leaders such as yourself put the interests of multinational corporations and foreign governments ahead of the needs and wants of our own country’s citizens, especially children like us. Your government’s signing a secret Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with Russia on liability exemption for Russian government and companies is just one example.

 

Our community leaders and anti-nuclear activists are asking your government, the Department of Atomic Energy, and the KKNPP some serious questions about the daily routine emissions from the KKNPP plants; amount and management of radioactive nuclear wastes; the cost and impact of decommissioning the plants; their fresh water needs and supply; the impact on our health and wellbeing; the damage to our seas and sea food; and many other important issues. But you, your ministers, your bureaucrats, and your Expert Group are all simply parroting the same meaningless statement that “Koodankulam is safe.” Why don’t you all answer our leaders’ questions squarely and fairly?

 

The KKNPP projects are imposed on our communities without our or our parents’ approval or authorization. No basic information has been shared with them; no public hearing has been conducted; and their opinions are never entertained or respected. Is this any way to teach us, the children of India, transparency, accountability, popular participation and most importantly, democracy? When our parents ask important questions, they are being accused that they work for foreign governments, receive foreign money and wage war on the Indian state.

 

May we point out the fact that your government’s energy policy will deprive us all of our health, well-being, clean air, safe water, radiation-free sea food and so forth. Your generation has no moral legitimacy to pollute our natural resources and poison our future in order to get electricity for 30 to 40 years.

 

Your recent announcement in Russia that the first Koodankulam reactor will be operational “in a couple of weeks” has insulted us, the Tamil children from the Koodankulam area. We are afraid that your government has been indifferent to the needs and aspirations of the Tamil people. Please consider us as Indian citizens and give us due respect and consideration.

 

May we request you to offer all possible help and cooperation to our Honorable Chief Minister to protect the fishing rights and security of Indian fishermen, to overcome the present financial crisis in Tamil Nadu, and to revive the power utilities in our state as explained in the Honorable Chief Minister’s Memorandum presented to you on December 25, 2011?

 

Thanking you in anticipation,

 

Cordially,

 

The “Koodankulam Children”

from Koothenkuzhi, Idinthakarai, Vairavikinaru, Koodankulam, Chettikulam, Perumanal and Koottapuli.

[Pushparayan M]

December 28, 2011

The Senior Citizens of Koodankulam Area

Koodankulam

Tirunelveli District

Tamil Nadu

Email: kooda...@yahoo.com


Mr. Yoshihiko Noda
The Honorable Prime Minister of Japan

Tokyo
Japan

 

Your Excellency:

 

Greetings! We, the senior citizens of the Koodankulam area in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India, would like to appeal to you not to revive the civil nuclear cooperation negotiations with our country.

We have witnessed how your country has suffered from both nuclear weapons and nuclear power. This "Hiroshima to Fukushima" devastation has taken a heavy toll on your country although you are scientifically more capable, technologically superior, and financially better-off than most countries in the world. Our country,  India, is not in a position to face a Hiroshima or to suffer a Fukushima.

As the one and only country in the world that has suffered radiation from nuclear bombs and nuclear power plants, Japan must take a lead in saving humanity from the nuclear menace and not try to make money out of the deadly nuclear business. Your government has just found out that it will take some 40 years  and $14.6 billion to decommission the Fukushima nuclear power plants. Our country that is fighting the poverty and misery of hundreds of millions of people cannot just afford this criminal waste of time, energies and resources.

We have great regards for your country and we respect your people who are very duty-conscious, hard working and sincere. We learn that about 800 Japanese companies are operating in India; the Japanese foreign direct investments have reached the $3.62 billion mark in 2010-2011; and the India-Japan bilateral trade has had  an increase of 24 per cent thanks to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with your country.

 

While we value our country's socioeconomic-political relations with your country, we definitely do not appreciate any civil nuclear cooperation with Japan or anyone else for that matter. While you yourself are struggling to contain the damages of the Fukushima disaster, you have no moral legitimacy to sell this dangerous technology to other countries. Hence we request you not to revive the civil nuclear cooperation negotiations with India.

With best regards and all peaceful wishes,

 

Cordially,

 

The Senior Citizens of Koodankulam Area

[Pushparayan M]

People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)

Idinthakarai 627 104

Tirunelveli District

Tamil Nadu

kooda...@yahoo.com

9865683735; 9942896257; 8428592914

I N V I T A T I O N

We cordially invite you to attend the Conference of PMANE on December 29, 2011, Thursday, from 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM at the Mother Teresa Children's Playground, Kovalam (opposite of Baywatch Amusement Park, and near the sunset point at Kanyakumari). Prominent scientists, engineers, doctors, advocates, political leaders, and social activists from all over India speak. This is an open event and everyone is welcome.

On December 30, 2011, Friday, from 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM we have the PMANE Expert Team meeting at the Peace Trust meeting hall at High Ground, Kanyakumari. This is restricted only to the experts and they will meet the Press at 4:00 PM at the venue.

Coordinator

PMANE

Direction:

[1] From the Kanyakumari bus terminal, go forward to Kovalam and the meeting venue is on your left just opposite of the Baywatch Amusement Park.

[2] From the Sunset Point in Kanyakumari, the meeting venue is right across the road.

[3] From the Kanyakumari train station, you have to hire a taxi or an autorickshaw to the meeting venue. Ask the driver to take you to the Baywatch Amusement Park.

[4] If you are a member of the PMANE Expert Team, please go to the Peace Trust building at High Ground, Kanyakumari and check in.

[Pushparayan M]

---

From: pushp...@hotmail.com
To: cmc...@tn.gov.in; cmc...@tn.nic.in
CC: cm...@tn.gov.in; c...@tn.gov.in
Subject: Idinthakarai Indefinite Hunger Strike and Demands
Date: Wed, 2 May 2012 15:13:57 +0530

Idinthakarai Update

May 2, 2012

The People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) has embarked upon the fourth round of indefinite hunger strike from May 1, 2012 at Idinthakarai with the following demands:

[1] The ongoing work at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) must be halted and the following steps must be taken immediately.

[2] As the Central Information Commission (CIC) has instructed the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), the Safety Analysis Report and the Site Evaluation Report must be released to the public immediately. And the full and final post-Fukushima safety audit report must also be released to the press and the public.

[3] A new and comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report must be commissioned as the one that the DAE has released after 23 years of struggle is incomplete, erroneous and outdated. The Tamil and Malayalam translations of the new EIA must be shared with the local people and the Press in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

[4] The opinions and preferences of the project-affected people must be heard by a competent authority in an open, transparent and democratic manner to understand the fears and concerns of the people. 

[5] An independent national committee must be constituted to study the issues of geology, hydrology, oceanography and seismology involved in the Koodankulam nuclear power plant.

[6] Disaster management training and evacuation exercises must be conducted in the 30-km radius of the Koodankulam plants and beyond  in the wake of the recent earthquake all over Tamil Nadu and India.

[7] A Tamil Nadu State Assembly Resolution must be passed that the Pechipparai dam water from Kanyakumari District and the Tamirabharani river water from Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi Districts will not be taken for the KKNPP reactors.

[8] A copy of the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on liability secretly signed between the governments of India and Russia must be made available to the project-affected public.

[9] Complete and truthful information must be given to the local people and the citizens of India about nuclear waste that would be produced at the Koodankulam plants and its management.

[10] All the false cases against the members of the struggle committee and the common people must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. Our friends who are still languishing in prison, Muhilan and Sathishkumar, must be released immediately.

[11] The local people's right to protest peacefully and nonviolently against the KKNPP and other related issues must be respected and honored. And no more false cases and other intimidatory exercises should be used against the struggling people.

The indefinite hunger strike will be broadened and strengthened on May 4 with the participation of hundreds of women from the neighboring villages. We remain open to dialogue with the government officials and would entertain such efforts. But we demand a written agreement with a definite action plan and clear timeline. We request you to do the needful in support of our cause.

The Struggle Committee,

[Pushparayan M]

Idinthakarai SOS

May 5, 2012

 

The indefinite hunger strike has been going on for the past 5 days. Some 25 men have been on the fast since May 1 and 302 women and 10 more men have joined the strike on May 4, 2012. More and more women are eager to join the indefinite hunger strike but because of logistical issues such as space, bedding and toilet facilities, we are not in a position to accommodate them all.

 

Many of the men have become very tired and are suffering from fatigue and nausea. Scores of women are suffering from severe headache this morning and some seem to be dehydrated because of the scorching summer heat. They need immediate medical advice and help.

 

The Tahsildar (county administrator) of Radhapuram contacted us yesterday and said he was sending a medical team to check the health of the hunger strikers. Nobody has come so far and we have contacted the officer again this morning.

 

Our people have been struggling so patiently, peacefully and nonviolently for the past nine months. Our people have not hurt or harmed or killed anybody or damaged any public or private properties. No untoward incident has ever taken place. But neither the central government nor the state government has ever tried to meet our people or listen to their opinions, thoughts, feelings and standpoints about the Koodankulam nuclear power project in a democratic manner.

 

Even now, instead of talking to our people, the authorities are warning us not to turn our movement into a violent one. We are not sure if they are hatching a conspiracy against us. The whole world knows that our people have been struggling nonviolently for the past nine months.

 

When Maoists kidnap MLAs and District Collectors and engage in random acts of violence such as attacking police stations and killing people, the governments nominate high-level mediators, talk to the Maoists in their own hideouts and grant all their wishes and demands then and there. But when our people struggle peacefully and nonviolently, the governments, authorities, politicians, scientists and even some pro-government media houses turn a deaf ear to us.

 

Our helpless and desperate people appeal to the Indian civil society and the international community to come to our rescue as our men and women are becoming weak and tired. We remain open to dialogue with the government officials but we demand a written agreement with a definite action plan and clear timeline. 

 

Please contact the following officers and demand justice for our people:

 

[1] Dr. R. Selvaraj, District Collector, Tirunelveli District, Tirunelveli. Phone: 91-462-2500828; Fax: 91-462-2500224; Mobile: 91-9444185000; Email: coll...@nic.in

[2] Mr. V. Varadharaju; Phone: 91-462-2568031; Mobile: 91-9840970530; Email: digt...@yahoo.co.in

[3] Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Fort St. George, Chennai 600 009, India; Phones: 91-44-25672345 (W); 91-44-25670215 (H); Faxes: 91-44-28133510; 25676929; 25671441; 28130787; Email: cmc...@tn.gov.in; cmc...@tn.nic.in

[4] Mr. Debendranath Sarangi, Chief Secretary; Phone: 91-44-25671555; Fax: 91-44-25672304; Email: c...@tn.gov.in

[5] Dr. Sheela Priya, Additional Chief Secretary; Phone: 91-44-25674234; Fax: 91-44-25675163. Email: cmc...@tn.gov.in

 

We have put forward the following demands to the authorities:

 

[1] The ongoing work at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) must be halted and the following steps must be taken immediately.

 

[2] As the Central Information Commission (CIC) has instructed the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), the Safety Analysis Report and the Site Evaluation Report must be released to the public immediately. And the full and final post-Fukushima safety audit report must also be released to the press and the public.

 

[3] A new and comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report must be commissioned as the one that the DAE has released after 23 years of struggle is incomplete, erroneous and outdated. The Tamil and Malayalam translations of the new EIA must be shared with the local people and the Press in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

 

[4] The opinions and preferences of the project-affected people must be heard by a competent authority in an open, transparent and democratic manner to understand the fears and concerns of the people. 

 

[5] An independent national committee must be constituted to study the issues of geology, hydrology, oceanography and seismology involved in the Koodankulam nuclear power plant.

 

[6] Disaster management training and evacuation exercises must be conducted in the 30-km radius of the Koodankulam plants and beyond  in the wake of the recent earthquake all over Tamil Nadu and India.

 

[7] A Tamil Nadu State Assembly Resolution must be passed that the Pechipparai dam water from Kanyakumari District and the Tamirabharani river water from Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi Districts will not be taken for the KKNPP reactors.

 

[8] A copy of the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on liability secretly signed between the governments of India and Russia must be made available to the project-affected public.

 

[9] Complete and truthful information must be given to the local people and the citizens of India about nuclear waste that would be produced at the Koodankulam plants and its management.

 

[10] All the false cases against the members of the struggle committee and the common people must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. Our friends who are still languishing in prison, Muhilan and Sathishkumar, must be released immediately.

 

[11] The local people's right to protest peacefully and nonviolently against the KKNPP and other related issues must be respected and honored. And no more false cases and other intimidatory exercises should be used against the struggling people.

The Struggle Committee

[Parivelan K M]

Dear Mr.Pushparayan

We are sincerely in support of your good endeavours vis-a-vis nuclear stand. We are calling up and sending faxes as suggested by you, hopefully government will respond to the needs of peaceful hunger strikers. Hope the new dialogue will be initiated for meaningful discussion to resolve the long pending demands.

In solidarity

Best regards

Parivelan

earthsmiles

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Peoples Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu" group.
To post to this group, send email to greena...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to greenagendat...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenagendatn?hl=en.

--

Dr.K.M.Parivelan

Director, 

Earth Smiles

(Organisation for Sustainable Natural Resource Management)

No.17/8, I st Street, Malaviya Avenue,

Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai-41

Off: +91-44-24522389

Mobile-91-9840957622

www.myearthsmiles.org

 

[Pushparayan M]

---

Idinthakarai Update

May 6, 2012

 

The condition of the 302 women hunger strikers has been deteriorating steadily. Two of the 35 men strikers have been afflicted with viral fever and have been isolated from the rest of the group for fear of any contagion among others. The following women have collapsed and removed to the nearby hospital:

Soosai Lourde (55), Manjula (33), Sahayam (45), Jacqueline (42), Pasili (36) and Bama (40). The first five women are from Idinthakarai and the last woman is from Koodankulam.

 

Last evening, a government medical team of 2 doctors and 3 nurses came to see the hunger strikers. The small medial team could not check everyone and dealt with only those who had serious health issues. They said they were late because their vehicle had starting trouble. One of the two BP apparatus (Sphygmomanometer) the medical team had brought was not working. This made the people question our government’s preparedness to face a nuclear disaster.

 

Because of augmentation in wind energy generation, Tamil Nadu is getting enough electricity now and the power cut has become down drastically. They are producing 2,500 MW every day. While the wind energy companies are ready to produce additional 1050 MW power, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board officials are asking the wind energy producers to reduce the wind energy generation (Dinamani online, May 6, 2012) as the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu are still hell-bent on propping up the Koodankulam nuclear power plant.

 

The Chief Minister of Kerala, in the meantime, has demanded 500 MW power from the Koodankulam plant (instead of the allotted 266 MW). The PMANE challenges if the Chief Minister of Kerala is ready to ask for a nuclear power plant in his own state of Kerala instead of demanding more power from the Koodankulm plant. As the Kerala CM belongs to the same Congress Party of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it should be very easy to set up a few nuclear power plants in Kerala.

 

Nanjil Sampath, the propaganda secretary of the MDMK participated in the hunger strike and expressed his party’s support to the struggle.

 

At 3 PM this afternoon, the Struggle Committee, the community elders, women and youth are going to meet and decide the next step to take in the struggle.