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Peaceful anti nuclear protestors from Kerala stopped by large police presence at border

The activists, writers and poets from Kerala, including writers Sugathakumari and Sara Joseph, social activist K Ajitha, environmental activist C R Neelakantan had sought permission from the Kerala police to take out a march from Parasalai to Idinthakarai, but were denied permission.

KKNPP: Kerala activists try to enter TN  http://timesofindia indiatimes.com/city/madurai/KKNPP-Kerala-activists-try-to-enter-TN/articleshow/16429530.cms  TNN | Sep 17, 2012, TIRUNELVELI: A group of activists from Kerala, who took out a march to Idinthakarai were prevented from entering the Tamil Nadu border at Kaliyakkavilai in Kanyakumari district on Sunday.

“We did not detain any of them. In fact, they did not enter the Tamil Nadu border. They were intercepted by the Kerala police and sent back,” said a police officer in Kanyakumari. Though activists from Kerala were voicing support for the anti-nuclear struggle in Tamil Nadu, the march by eminent personalities gave a fresh impetus to the ongoing struggle and is likely to spread in Kerala. The march has come ahead of speculation that veteran CPM member and Kerala opposition leader V S Achuthananthan would visit Idinthakarai to express solidarity with the villagers.

The activists, writers and poets from Kerala, including writers Sugathakumari and Sara Joseph, social activist K Ajitha, environmental activist C R Neelakantan had sought permission from the Kerala police to take out a march from Parasalai to Idinthakarai, but were denied permission. However, they attempted to proceed with the march as planned. A large number of police personnel who were deployed at the Tamil Nadu – Kerala border at Inchivilai near Kaliyakkavilai prevented them from crossing over the border.

The activists charged that the Kudankulam nuclear plant would prove as disastrous to Kerala as Tamil Nadu. Tension prevailed in the locality as the protestors started raising slogans against the nuclear plant and demanded that they be allowed to continue the march. But the police, deployed in large numbers from Tamil Nadu as well as Kerala refused stating that they were not given permission to do so. They later dispersed from the spot. Meanwhile, a group of over 200 people led attempted to take out a protest rally to Idinthakarai from Tuticorin and courted arrest. They were released later in the day.

Actor-director Seeman, heading the Naam Tamizhar Katchi, Periyar Dravida Kazhagam leaderKolathur Mani and workers of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam were among those arrested, police said. The villagers at Kuthankuli continued the novel protest standing buried in waist deep sand for the second consecutive day. The villagers, including women and children, holding placards condemning the state and Central governments for proceeding with the commissioning of the nuclear plant stood buried in the sand.

Meanwhile, a magisterial inquiry into the police attack that ended up in firing on a fisherman began.

September 17, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | civil liberties, India