Catholics, Hindus, Muslims against nuclear energy in Kudankulam

The Catholic Church and the Church of South India have joined the Hindu and Muslim communities in the protest fast being undertaken by 127 people over the past four days, giving a new turn to the protest. Religious leaders who have formally pledged their support to the protest include Kottar bishop Peter Remigus, Palayamkottai bishop Jude Paulraj, Tuticorin Nazareth bishop Jebachandran, CSI bishop Christudas, Swami Balaprajapathi and Mohammed Elias.

“This has nothing to do with the Catholic Church in particular. We are supporting the cause in our individual capacities. We see this as a fight between good and evil”, said bishop Ambrose,

After caste, south Tamil Nadu on the boil over nuclear power, ECONOMIC TIMES, 4 SEP, 2011, JOE A SCARIA, CHENNAI: On Sunday, seven lives were lost in Paramakudi in south Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district when a gathering to pay homage to Dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran turned violent, triggering police firing. Just as the last of the victims are being cremated, three other districts in south Tamil Nadu are up in revolt, demanding closure of the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district.

Once a barren landscape, Kudankulam village is on the verge of being the latest nuclear power location on the world map, but just weeks away from the commissioning of the first of its two1,000 mw nuclear reactors, villagers in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts are massing to demand that the Rs 13,000-crore, ready-to-commission plant be scrapped. ….

“There is no middle path. We want the plant to be shut down. What we are demanding is that the lives of people should be the first priority”, Tuticorin bishop Ivan Ambrose, who participated in the protests today at the Idinthakarai village adjacent to where the power plant is located, told ET.

“This has nothing to do with the Catholic Church in particular. We are supporting the cause in our individual capacities. We see this as a fight between good and evil”, said bishop Ambrose, demanding that the Indian government also take a line like the Germans, to steer clear of nuclear power in the interest of people’s safety.

SP Udayakumar, co-ordinator of the People’s Movement against Nuclear Power, said the organisation’s demand was to have a resolution passed in the Tamil Nadu assembly against commissioning the plant. He said the project had given false hopes of thousands of jobs, while the reality was different. “When the plant was under construction, there were many north Indian labourers, to whom local people rented out houses or rooms, but now even that income has stopped”, says Udayakumar.

Experts say that a plant as sophisticated as the one at Kudankulam typically does not employ people in the hundreds, and that the Kudankulam unit’s employee strength is in the region of 1,000.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/after-caste-south-tamil-nadu-on-the-boil-over-nuclear-power/articleshow/9982698.cms

September 15, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, Religion and ethics

1 Comment »

10 Nuclear Power Plants have been Planned in Koodankulam. 1 plant has been completed. Another 1plant work has started. So totally these 2 plant only can be allowed in Koodankulam. The other planned Nuclear Power Plants and Nuclear Power Plants can be shifted 2 each to Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh etc. For example in states many available lakes or artificial lakes created slight diversion of Rivers are available in Uninhabited/Less Inhabitated Areas and many Inland Nuclear Power Plants can be established in these states like USSR, USA, Europe, Rajasthan etc. Also 80 to 90 % Power should be given to these respective states where Nuclear power is generated, since they take the risk of Nuclear Problems. Also the People residing around say 20 to 30 Kms should be given Minimum Rs.1 Crore for rehabilitation (House, Employment etc) for Ordinary workers and Many amount more for those who have more properties.

Comment by K Kumar | January 29, 2012 | Reply

nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope