A growing community is opposing the government's plans to build another nuclear plant. With the government continuing with its plans, without acknowledging local concerns, things seem to be moving to a head.

A Campaign Gaining Strength

March 25, 2007: The Koodankulam struggle is picking up speed. Most coastal villages in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts and several farming villages in these districts have set up struggle committees. The people of Koodankulam took out a massive rally on March 17, 2007 demanding a CBI enquiry into the quality of the nuclear power plants construction. The people there feel that the material used for the construction are of very poor quality and that compromises the safety and security of the people.

The struggle committees of many farming and fishing villages held a consultation meeting on March 19, 2007 at Koodankulam and discussed the strategies for the March 31, 2007 public hearing at Tirunelveli collectorate (Tirunelveli, 10 am). Several thousand people plan to gather there and express our opposition to the public hearing and to the plants.

Several young people and organizations in Kerala are also planning a press meet and a day-long protest against the Koodankulam plants toward the end of March.

Slowly but steadily the Koodankulam campaign is growing in strength. Please join in, stop this menace and save the future generations from the scourges of dreadful radiation illnesses and dangerous nuclear war.

6000 Fast Against Nuclear Project
March 24, 2007 some 6000 to 7000 people came together for a day-long fast and protest against the Koodankulam nuclear power project at Idinthakarai village near Koodankulam. The fasting demonstration began exactly at 10 am with a minute-long silence to remember the victims of recent Nadigram police firing. Following the felicitations of several parish priests, many anti-nuclear activists, women's movement leaders, panchayat office-bearers, farmers, fishermen and youth spoke about the impending dangers of the Koodankulam nuclear power project and called for its immediate closure. There were street-plays, music, songs, dance and slogan shouting in between passionate speeches.

At the end of the day, the following resolutions were passed unanimously:

[1] Those of us who have gathered here in Idinthakarai today demand that the central and state governments stop the construction of the Koodankulam nuclear power project that defies all the IAEA rules with regards to high and dense population in the project area.

[2] We condemn the eye-wash public hearing that is going to be held for the nuclear power projects 3, 4, 5 and 6 after carrying out all the groundwork for these projects and signing the agreements with the Russian authorities.

[3] We demand the immediate cancellation of this fraudulent public hearing.

[4] We condemn the atomic energy officials such as Agrawal for repeating the same lies over and over that nobody would be evacuated from the Koodankulam area, that the land, the water and the sea would not be affected in any way, that the Pechiparai dam water would not be taken to the plant, and that radiation was not a serious threat to the local public.

[5] We condemn those individuals who act as handmaidens to the nuclear department and organize fasts in support of the Koodankulam nuclear power project.

[6] We demand that the Indian government conduct a referendum in Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi districts in Tamil Nadu to see if the local people want the Koodankulam nuclear power project in their midst or not.

[7] We demand that the land that has been acquired and the buildings that have been constructed for the Koodankulam nuclear power project be turned into other assorted industries that foster the lives and livelihood of the local people.

[8] We resolve that only those political parties that oppose the Koodankulam nuclear power project would be supported in the following elections.

[9] We demand that the public representatives from the Koodankulam project affected areas pass resolutions in the local bodies against the nuclear power project.

Public Hearing Organized by People’s Groups
The Anti-Nuclear Confederation is organizing a "People's Public Hearing" on March 30, 2007 at Thoothukudi. People of the area, retired judges, academics, economists, lawyers, nuclear, agricultural and fishery scientists will be participating in the program. Victims
of nuclear power plants and nuclear establishments from various parts of India have consented to present their cases before the public hearing panel. Anton Gomez is making all the arrangements.

The people of Perumanal, Koothankuzhi and Chettikulam villages are planning to organize day-long hunger strikes in their villages also.

- S. P. Udayakumar was the director of the Race and Poverty Institute at the University of Minnesota and now lives in Koodankulam, teaches children and works with communities affected by Nuclear Plants.