Koodankulam nuclear plant protesters seek Jayalalithaa's support

CHENNAI: The question of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa opening her doors to an unlikely visitor could have a bearing on the future of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project. This visitor who is awaiting a nod for his visit to Poes Garden is the man heading the agitation against the project ­ S P Udayakumar.
Talking to ET, Udayakumar, convenor of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), said that he has sought an audience with the AIADMK supremo and the new chief minister, O Paneerselvam, to urge their support to stop work at the nuclear power plant in south Tamil Nadu. “It is clear now that the plant is sub-standard and is a serious threat not just to people in this district but to the entire nation. We have petitioned the government to immediately stop it and begin a detailed probe,“ he said.

Recent reports of a technical glitch in the plant forcing a temporarily shut down has brought `like-minded' people together, he said.

Udayakumar said the petition was released by a solidarity group including former navy chief Admiral L Ramdas, former union power secretary EAS Sarma, Medha Patkar, Aruna Roy of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Prof Achin Vanaik, founding member of Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, writer and social activist Nityanand Jayaraman and the National Alliance of People's Movements.

In one of her election campaigns in southern Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa had told the protesters that she will be ``One with people. '' But months later she had changed her stand on the issue.

Though there is no remarkable change in Tamil Nadu's power crisis between then and now, the political situation indicates a strain in relationship between the BJP and the AIADMK.

On the day former chief minister Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four year imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case in Bangalore, AIADMK cadres in Tamil Nadu had raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and burnt effigies of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy across the state. Jayalalithaa is now back at her Poes Garden residence in Chennai after being released on bail by the apex court, but she has not been meeting visitors.

A senior AIADMK leader who did not want to be named said, “It is true that she has not been meeting any member of the general public. She has a huge administrative role as a general secretary of the AIADMK and she is busy with that. It is highly unlikely that she will have the time to meet visitors like Udayakumar.“

The senior leader also said, “The party's policy on nuclear power has always remained that if the plant has been certified to be technically safe there is absolutely no reason why it should not be allowed to function. There is no chance for the leader to meet anti-nuke protesters at this juncture when Tamil Nadu requires more power. Moreover if Udayakumar is representing issues of the people then he should be meeting the chief minister and not the AIADMK chief.“

Udayakumar said support of regional parties is important to resolve this issue. “It is the parties like AIADMK and DMK that should come to the rescue of people of its state. Unfortunately even after plant being shut down because of technical flaws, only the left parties have issued a statement asking the Centre to look into the issue. The major regional parties have just remained silent,“ he said.