nuclear-news

Despite police repression, protestors gather against Jaitapur nuclear plant

 “The government
instead of unleashing the police on the villagers, should respect the
people’s sentiments,”

Villagers court arrest against Jaitapur nuclear plant
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/villagers-court-arrest-against-jaitapur-nuclear-plant/article4266213.ece
, 3 Jan 13,  ALOK DESHPANDE Thousands of villagers from around the
proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) site in Maharashtra’s
Ratnagiri district on Wednesday launched a ‘jail bharo’ agitation
demanding scrapping of the 9,900 MW plant.

The agitators attempted to take out a peaceful protest march to the
project site. But they were stopped three kilometres away, arrested
and later released. The protesters had planned to surround the site to
convey the symbolic ‘stop-the-work’ notice to the administration.

“This was the first big agitation held after the firing incident in
Sakhri Nate village. The government was deliberately spreading the
rumour that villagers have softened their stand and are now ready to
accept the project,” said Amjad Borkar of the Machhimar Kruti Samiti
in Sakhri Nate. Mr. Borkar said the march was to tell the government
that we did not change our stand. “We are confident of throwing the
power plant out of Jaitapur,” he said.

“The government should respect people’s sentiments. It should cancel
all the agreements connected with JNPP,” said Mr. Borkar.

The Shiv Sena and the Left parties also took part in the march. Rajan
Salvi, local Sena MLA made it clear that the party would not allow
contractors to work on the site. “They have built the compound wall by
repressing our voices. We will not let contractors work on the site in
future,” he said.

“The project does not stand on technical as well as on democratic
grounds. The technology is nowhere tested and all gram panchayats
surrounding the site have said no to the project. The government
instead of unleashing the police on the villagers, should respect the
people’s sentiments,” said Prakash Reddy, of the Communist Party of
India.

January 4, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general