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“Nuclear Science Mafia” condemned by judges

“We are always being told that nuclear power is clean and pure. It’s a complete lie. Who are the people telling it? It’s the scientists who need jobs, postings on nuclear energy boards and state honours,”….Justice Kolse Patil said the government was repeating a lie over and over again so that it would sound true.

Activists of anti-nuclear plant yatra detained  THE  HINDU, 24 April 11,”………“Why is the government stopping us from going to Jaitapur? Because it does not want the other side of
nuclear energy to reach the people,” Justice Sawant told the meeting.

“We are always being told that nuclear power is clean and pure. It’s a complete lie. Who are the people telling it? It’s the scientists who need jobs, postings on nuclear energy boards and state honours,” he said.

The accidents at Fukushima, Chernobyl and the Three Mile Island were known to the world only because the governments could not keep them a secret, whereas minor accidents were a daily feature at nuclear power plants, he said.

“At least 30,000 minor accidents have taken place and many have lost their lives, but we don’t know. Leaving aside the accidents, the spread of radioactivity in the air itself is the cause for many diseases.” Since nuclear energy threatened the people’s right to live in security and with dignity, a public interest litigation petition by a section of society was on the cards.

Justice Sawant saw market forces as being behind the push towards nuclear energy. “After the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island incidents, the demand for nuclear energy plunged worldwide. This dealt a blow to the nuclear power market. Even when there are no takers for this power, the Indian government is pushing it.”

Justice Kolse Patil said the government was repeating a lie over and over again so that it would sound true. He accused Maharashtra Industries Minister Narayan Rane, who has a stronghold in the Konkan, of going to great lengths to crush the andolan against Jaitapur.

Activist Vaishali Patil said there was a “nuclear science mafia” in India.

Ashok Rao from Delhi said India embarked on an “insane” programme of generating energy. He read a statement from the former U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, which advocated diversification of India’s energy sector to ease the competition between India and the U.S. “for scarce carbon-based resources.” As for Jaitapur, “the reactors are not used anywhere in the world. So how can you say they are safe? The government bent before a foreign power during the Bhopal tragedy, [so] how can you expect it to deliver justice if there were a nuclear accident?” he asked.

Many scientists were also part of the meeting. C.R. Neelakandan, formerly with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said the reactors used in Tarapur and Fukushima Daiichi were the same.

Slogans, songs and placards decrying nuclear power voiced strong opposition to the government’s nuclear programme……..http://www.hindu.com/2011/04/24/stories/2011042463041300.htm

April 24, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties