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8 days of Indian anti nuclear protestors’ hunger strike

“Idanthikarai reveals how cruel governments can be” On the eighth day of the hunger strike, anti nuclear plant protestors say they continue to wait for the Central and state government to come talk to them Tekelka, Jeemon Jacob, 27 Mar 12 Idanthikarai/ Thiruvananthapuram  A woman protester was shifted to hospital even as the anti-nuclear plant protests entered the eighth day. Forty-year-old Melred Raj, was shifted to the local hospital on Sunday 25 March, after she fainted at the protest venue. Her condition is said to be stable now 

However, SP Udayakumar, convener PMANE said he, Pushparayan and their
core group of 13 local residents will continue their hunger strike
that started after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa gave a nod
to the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project.

“Pushparayan, 13 of our friends and I have become weaker and tired.
But we are still able to sit up and talk to people. Nobody from the
state government or the Central government has bothered to come and
see us or talk to us. A medical team came to check on 23 March, but no
public health officials visited the protest venue where around 10,000
people are thronged,” said Udayakumar. According to him, police is
waiting to arrest the PMANE leaders and other activists when they are
shifted to hospital.

“Idanthikarai reveals how cruel governments can be, we have only one
hope as Koodankulam protests are getting support from people across
the country. On Monday 26 march , filmmaker Anand Patwardhan will lead
the protest at 5 pm at Dadar railway station in Mumbai. In Delhi,
Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey will lead a seven day fast in
solidarity with the Koodankulam struggle. On Sunday, human rights
organisations staged protests in Bangalore too,” said Udayakumar. “The
state police continues crack down on anti-nuke protesters, and told
the village elders to go back to fishing and not to transport food or
provisions to Idanthikarai. But our supply lines are intact,” added
Pushparayan. A medical team visited Idanthikarai on Monday and tended
to the protesters who are on hunger strike ….

March 28, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general