nuclear-news

VIDEO Aruna Roy speaks out for India’s thousands of anti nuclear people

 “Place for dissent is shrinking in our country which is evident here (in Kudankulam) where non-violent protests being seen as intolerable by the Indian government.”

Ms Roy said she was very distressed about the action being taken on the non-violent protests against the establishment of a nuclear plant in Kudankulam.

VIDEO Social activist Aruna Roy slams nuclear energy http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/social-activist-aruna-roy-slams-nuclear-energy-258453   by Pallava Bagla, Edited by Shamik Ghosh August 23, 2012 New Delhi: Nuclear energy is bad for development and India should not adopt it – this was the key outcome of a people’s hearing on nuclear energy projects in India held on August 22-23 where concerns of the local communities regarding safety, viability and impacts of these projects on the lives and livelihoods of the surrounding
population and their environment were discussed.

Jury members included social activist Aruna Roy, member of the National Advisory Committee, former Navy chief Admiral L Ramdas, and KS Subrahmaniam, who heard testimonies of people part of the grassroots movements at sites where nuclear plants were coming up like in Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu), Jaitapur (Maharashta), Chutka (Madhya
Pradesh), Gorakhpur (Haryana), Banswada (Rajasthan), and Rawatbhata (Rajasthan), where strong agitations against upcoming and existing nuclear facilities are underway.

Former Army Chief General VK Singh
was in the audience listening to the people’s testimonies opposing
nuclear energy.

A statement from the anti-nuclear group said, “The obsession with GDP
and growth has been behind the plans to expand the Eco-destructive
energy projects – be it nuclear, huge coal-based plants or large dams.
An alternative model of development has to be evolved to deal with the
present crisis, rather than going for dangerous illusions like
pursuing nuclear power. People are resisting these projects which
stand to threaten their lives and livelihoods.”  According to agency
reports, Ms Roy spoke about her visit to Kudankulam and about false
information about the movement against the nuclear plant that the
administration and the police were spreading. She termed the
allegation of foreign funding to the protesters as “baseless”. She
also called on people living in neighbouring Sri Lanka and Kerala to
join in and offer support to the Kudankulam residents in their
struggle against the plant as any disaster would equally affect their
coasts too.

After her visit to Kudankulam nuclear project site, National Advisory
Council member Aruna Roy said in a statement that the place for
dissent was shrinking in the country. “Place for dissent is shrinking
in our country which is evident here (in Kudankulam) where non-violent
protests being seen as intolerable by the Indian government.”

Ms Roy said she was very distressed about the action being taken on the non-violent protests against the establishment of a nuclear plant in Kudankulam.

“There are several questions which have been raised about the safety
and viability of these reactors as well as the environmental damage
they are liable to cause. These questions cannot be ignored after the
Fukushima disaster especially as Kudankulam is on the coast, parts of
which have been effected by the tsunami in the past,” Ms Roy said.

“All of them expressed their anguish and dismay at the government’s
insistence on going ahead with the plant, turning a deaf ear to their
legitimate concerns of safety and survival,” she said. ….

August 24, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, opposition to nuclear, Resources -audiovicual