Tamil Nadu, INDIA -- The Asian Peasant Coalition (APC), congratulates the anti-nuke activists for their initial victory.
“S P Udayakumar, who spearhead the protest against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, and others ended their fast following assurances by the state government to drop the case filed against protesters and release arrested activists,” remarked Fathima Burnad, APC Chairperson and a leader of the Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum (TNWF).
The APC leader said, “Udayakumar, convenor of the People's Movement against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), and 14 others, including seven women, withdrew their fast after Tirunelveli district collector R Selvaraj held several rounds of talks with the protesters.”
“We welcome the positive action of the state government. This is our initial victory. But the protest against the nuclear plant will continue. The farmers will not got to farm, the fisher folks will not go into fishing, the shops in Idinthakarai and nearby villages will remain close and children will not go to school if our demands will not be fulfilled by the government,” stressed Burnad.
The indefinite fast began on March 19, hours after the Tamil Nadu cabinet adopted a resolution favouring commissioning of the Russian-aided power project.
The anti-nuke protesters placed a charter of seven demands, including release of arrested protestors, conduct of safety and evacuation drill in a 30 sq km radius around the nuclear plant and release of the Indo-Russian agreement on compensation to victims in the event of a nuclear mishap. They also wanted details of the plant's waste disposal plan.
"We demand to halt the nuclear power plant. Toxic waste from nuclear plants continues to emit deadly radiation for up to 1 million years. We oppose the man-made environmental catastrophe that will affect our land, our livelihood, and our lives,” Burnad ended. #
Fathima Burnad
APC Chairperson