http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?kankersg
-- To: Hon'ble Prime Minister India, CMs of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and Members of Parliament Abandon Koodankulam project Hunger strike at Kudankulam demands a resounding No to Nuclear power As the villagers started an indefinite hunger strike at Idinthakarai on 11th September to oppose the commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear plant,(in Thirunelveli ditrict, Tamilnadu) police is reported to have detained several villagers on the previous day in a preventive move. In spite of this ,about 150 people are on an indefinite fast .The strikers comprise people from all walks of life, including priests and nuns from the local church.There was a tremendous turn up of about15000 people on 12th September to support the ongoing hunger strike. The striking villagers need immediate support ,as they are struggling for the just demand of scrapping a nuclear power project with potential to destroy entire south India in case there be an accident. Besides, it is a project, which endangers the livelihood of thousands of fish workers and even their right to live. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NCPIL)seems determined to go ahead with the project, in spite of stiff and persistent opposition by the people for more than two decades. The media have blacked out reporting of this major event of indefinite hunger strike by 150 people, probably either due to their sheer callousness or to self imposed censorship in obedience to the wish of the nuclear establishment. In the middle of August, in a spontaneous response to the mock security drill, there was a hunger strike for three days at the same place, in which more than seven thousand people participated. Shops were shut down in the area, fish workers of 8 villages stopped work and students boycotted classes, in an unparalleled solidarity with people's opposition to the Project. Most of the newspapers also chose to ignore this event, for reasons best known to themselves. Yet, a media, hand in glove with the nuclear plant authorities, cannot ultimately defeat people’s will . People knew of Chernobyl and Fukushima, in spite of all out efforts by concerned authorities to hide the truth from them. Against such a background, citizens in Tamilnadu and Kerala, especilly people of Thirunelveli,Thoothukkudi, Kanyakumari and Trivandrum districts, which fall within 100 KM radius of the plant are pressed with the need not only to undertake the responsibility of bringing the strike to wider public attention immediately, but also to seek most urgent intervention by responsible authorities placed at higher levels of decision making and governance. Why should the nuclear establishment insist on an extremely dangerous project against the wishes of the people, especially when nuclear plants are being scrapped elsewhere and newer ones rather not being undertaken in the light of Fukushima disaster? Do we want a ‘Fukushima’ to happen in India to convince ourselves of the dangers of the nuclear option? Therefore, we hereby request the Hon'ble Prime Minister, the Hon'ble Chief Ministers of States and all the Hon'ble Members of Parliament, to intervene immediately to end the indefinite hunger strike by citizens at Idinthakarai in Kudankulam , by assuring people that the demand raised in the long drawn struggle,namely scrapping of the nuclear project, will be met. For Ad hoc Committee, Koodankulam AntiNuclear struggle Support Group Kerala Sincerely, http://www.petitiononline.com/kankersg/petition.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
