Dear Friends, We all are aware that The US President George Bush has inked the Henry Hyde Act on the December 18 last towards actualising the Indo-US Nuke Deal, which had been outlined in the Bush-Singh joint statement issued on July 18 2005 at Washington DC and further developed and reiterated on March 2 in the joint statement issued from Delhi.
The 'Deal', as when becomes operative, will enable India to have 'civilian' nuclear trade with the US, and also the rest of the world. India as a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is not normally entitled to this and was specifically debarred since May 1974, when the first Pokhran test was carried out. The barrier had been further raised and reinforced since May 1998, when another five tests were carried out and India explicitly declared itself as a nuclear weapon state. Admittedly, still a couple of hurdles are to be crossed. But apart from other negative impacts in terms of increased strategic proximity between India and the US and also heightened nuclear danger to the South Asian region and the world as a whole, freer access to nuclear fuel and technology will also trigger a mad race for building nuclear power plants in the country. Given the fact that nuclear power is as of now very much uneconomic, capital-intensive and thereby frontloaded, intrinsically hazardous - from mining to power plant, potentially catastrophic, acts as a major driver and facilitator for manufacturing nuclear warheads, will crowd out investments and efforts for ecologically benign alternate energy and there is as of now no failsafe method of disposing nuclear waste and the old outlived plants, the consequences would be nothing short of disastrous. In West Bengal, a new nuclear power plant is reportedly in the offing in a coastal village called Haripur, that too a cyclone-prone area, in the East Medinipur district. The preliminary works are moving apace shrouded in secrecy. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Politburo Member of CPI(M) that opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal, has not only welcomed the nuclear power plant, but expressed his determination to build it. Apart from the problems cited above there would also be large scale brutal displacement and dislocation of people from their traditional habitats and means of livelihood. The local fishing and agricultural community would be severely hurt. The rich coastal fisheries will be destroyed by the ecocidal effects of releasing millions of gallons of hot water into the sea. And it goes without saying that the local populace would also be exposed to heightened radiation hazards. When the team of experts from NPCIL arrived at Haripur on 17th November 2006, accompanied by battalions of armed police, the local residents blockaded the road and prevented them from entering the area. The attempt was repeated on the next day. Thousands of men, women and children from villages around the proposed site blockaded all entry points and vowed to embrace instant death rather than rotting through generations as evicted refugees exposed to nuclear menace. The high power team was compelled to retire and the Government had to beat a retreat for the moment. The Chief Minister however declared his resolve to carry on the project nonetheless with the NPCL chairman joining the chorus. The people of Haripur have formed the "Haripur Paramanu Bidyut Prakalpa Pratirodh Andolan" in a 20,000 strong public meeting on 28th November 2006. In view of above, the Anti-Nuclear Forum, West Bengal in collaboration with the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, West Bengal has decided to hold a National Seminar on the Indo-US Nuke Deal and Nuclear Power. It will be on February 14 (10 00 Am – 5. 00 PM). The main presentations will be supplemented with intense interactive sessions. A Strategy Meeting of all-India activists will be held same day (Feb. 14. (06. 30 PM – 09 00 PM) to work out a workable and effective strategy to resist nuclear power - from mining to power plant, wherever and whenever in India. A dedicated all-India platform/coordination body is also planned to be formed. Next morning a collective trip will be undertaken to Haripur as a fact-finding mission and, more than that, in solidarity with the local resistance movement in the making. The Haripur struggle will have to be tied up with the struggles in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and elsewhere. The team will be back on 16th by 2 Pm to Kolkata. A Press Conference will follow. The local host committee will take care of the hospitality of the activists attending the meet after they reach Kolkata on Feb. 13, or thereafter, till 16th evening. (If anyone has to stay over till 17th morning, provision for accommodation will be made for him or her, if intimated earlier.) All those who are connected with struggles against nuclear power and its disastrous impacts, in whatever ways, are most earnestly requested to immediately get in touch with the host committee with all relevant suggestions and confirm their participation. It goes without saying that that this is going to be a long drawn battle, which the people, real people, of India can hardly afford to lose. Looking forward to your active and enthusiastic participation. In solidarity Gautam Sen Phone No.: 2465 2507, 9433882799 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Office of the Anti-Nuclear Forum: C/O Disha (P.P: Sasanka Dev Phone:23283989) email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tentative Schedule National Seminar on the Indo-US Nuke Deal and Nuclear Power: February 14 (10 00 Am – 5. 00 PM) Strategy Meeting of all-India activists Feb. 14. (06. 30 PM – 09 00 PM) A collective trip to Haripur Feb. 15-16 Press Conference Feb. 16 Afternoon --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
