-: Fw: [rti4empowerment] Fw: Koodamkulam Satyagraha: VR Krishna Iyer writes to Jayalalitha

Dear Friends,

For your perusal the views of a seasoned police officer,bureaucrat,who has the benefit of an engineering background ,on the nuclear power issue.

As far as I am concerned,in "better safe than sorry" mode,I will give the benefit of doubt to doing without nuke power.

Please also treat this as a debate for the development model for India and the desired political and economic system.

Regards,

Urvi

From: Sant Mathur

Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 2:24 PM

To: Urvi Sukul Singh

Subject: Re: [rti4empowerment] Fw: Koodamkulam Satyagraha: VR Krishna Iyer writes to Jayalalitha

Dear Urviji and other friends,

I studied Elect Engg and worked in non-nuclear power sector for three years before joining IPS.During this service I had occasion to work for regular power sector for around 5 years.My knowledge of nuclear power sector is only incidental.

It'll be difficult at this stage to enter into debate on the highly controversial area of necessity,or otherwise of nuclear power for the nation,and a variety of vulnerablities this sector suffers from,or is feared/alleged to suffer from.The Indian Parliament saw partisan debate on this issue in extenso.

For the moment we're dealing with health hazard to the surrounding populace,with no other scenario entering into picture(Tsunami,vandalism,air-strike,fuel-shortage--maybecontrived under blackmailing conditions--terrorist attack etc),though detailed SWOT analysis could be done ,as has definitely been done.

We need to have overall international/national/plant specific data to discuss the issue with some sense of clarity/maturity.

Has anyone taken care to do so? Isn't the State obliged to do so,transparently, suo-moto for confidence -building measure?

As a system scientist I tend to look into things a bit dispassionately and through the coloured glasses or in any partisan manner,or with pre-conceived notions.Some sceptism could still be there as not all facts might look verifiable or inspire confidence.In other words a well-cultivated cold rational/scientfic approach is used in appreciation of any case on hand.

Now its upto you to interpret or use my comments whichever way you please to do so.

s p mathur IPS DGP retd

BE MBA PhD(Management)

919841282324

On Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 1:46 PM, Urvi Sukul Singh <usukulsingh@hotmail.com> wrote:

Mathur Sa'ab,

It is imminent that India decides its development model and,hence,its political leanings-which mould the economic system.As for nuke power,Sir,after Japans' experience,forewarned is more than forearmed.May I circulate your reply to me amongst my activist circle?

Warm regards,

Urvi

From: Sant Mathur

Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 1:16 PM

To: Urvi Sukul Singh

Subject: Re: [rti4empowerment] Fw: Koodamkulam Satyagraha: VR Krishna Iyer writes to Jayalalitha

There's definite necessity to know from more than one source the exact details about radiation health hazards around Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant.The authorities there,during our visit a few months back rubbished the notion of relatively higher figures of incidence diseases(including carcinoma) amongst surrouding populace.

Wonder whether both through RTI and appropriate field survey the reality will be established.IT BETTER BE,AND AT THE EARLIEST.Information and not disinformation,or cleverely conocted information is urgently reqd,in this matter.

spm

On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 10:54 PM, Urvi Sukul Singh <usukulsingh@hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Vivek sundara

Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2011 6:36 PM

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Subject: Koodamkulam Satyagraha: VR Krishna Iyer writes to Jayalalitha

Date: 18 September 2011
Subject: Koodamkulam Satyagraha: VR Krishna Iyer writes to Jayalalitha

September 17, 2011

Madam Jayalalithaa,

I do not know you personally though have heard about you from my
son's wife who was a student in the school just a year below you.

I am convinced that my request is just. This I write with the
responsibility of a successful judge of the Supreme Court of India for
seven years. If you have trust in me and in my words, if your heart
responds to the feelings of thousands of villagers at Koodankulam
against the hazards of nuclear power, I plead with you on bended knees
to judge sensitively to the appeal of the masses and show compassion
and political wisdom without further delay. Please initiate without
further delay a genuine dialogue with the people who are on hunger
strike and consider their concerns. The non-violent struggle which
enters 7th day needs your immediate intervention and due
consideration. I feel that Tamil Nadu and South India as a whole will
be indebted to you if you act at this juncture. I will also request
to the movement to continue the Satyagraha without putting life of the
people in danger and not resort to violence. I write this letter
because I respect your integrity and kindness.

The facts of the case are enclosed herewith which I do not
repeat. It is your fundamental duty to show compassion under Article
51A and alleviate distress and wipe every tear from every eye. Your
kindness will be rewarded because there is divinity in your being and
every acts of goodness will be reciprocated. Please don't disappoint.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

V.R. KRISHNA IYER

Encl : as above

To

Her Excellency Ms. J. Jayalalithaa
Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Poes Guardian
Chennai, Tamil Nadu

---------------
Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)

Koodankulam

With the hunger strike crossing 6 days the situation of many of the
127 people on hunger strike in Indinthakarai is becoming more and more
critical. More than 15000 people have been gathering every day for the
past 6 days from 30 odd villages around Koodankulam from 3 districts
Kanaykumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli. The 127 fasting people are
from all 3 districts. Doctors and nurse are monitoring them
consistently. With the deteriorating health situation of some of the
fasters the doctors are concerned that some peoples condition could go
beyond control if the fast continues and fasters are not heeding to
the doctors advice. If such a situation arises then the crowd who are
gathering in Idinthakarai and the people in the neighbouring villages
and districts could turn violent. There is a huge battalion of police
personnel around Idinthakarai and neighbouring villages. There is road
blockage for around 20 kms and no shops are open also. For the fifth
day in succession fishermen, farmers, manual laborers, merchants of
the area did not go for their jobs while students continued to boycott
schools and all shops remain closed for kilometers around
Idinthakarai. No food is available for the people who are gathering
for the protest and most of them who return to the villages and come
back the next day are day fasting also. People are losing their
patience. There are false cases against 500 odd people filed by the
police before the fasting started. Four people have also been put in
jail.

Meanwhile the Chief Minster of Tamil Nadu and the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Limited officials are trying to undermine the fat
and protest by issuing press releases saying that the nuclear plant if
safe even to factors beyond their control and understanding like
natural disasters, accidents and terrorist attacks. On the 6th day of
the fast no effort from the state or central government has happened
with the fasters.

The concern of the people in terms of the impact on people in
neighbouring places is nowhere addressed to by the state and central
government. One just needs to go to Kalpakkam further North in Tamil
Nadu itself to understand the impact that an operating nuclear plant
could have on neighbouring places. Radiation exposure has been
reported within the plant many times and plant staff exposed to
radiation has died also. Since plant operations began in the early
1980s, incidents of cancer and auto-immune thyroid diseases in the
surrounding villages have increased considerably and many people have
died also. The whole nuclear operation by the government is held in
secrecy and no worthwhile information is available in public domain.
With the two 1000MW reactors nearing completion Koodamkulam is going
to produce 5 times more power and resulting radiation compared

In the mean time the protest is spreading to outside of Idnthakarai
also. In neighboring Kanyakumari district some colleges had gone on
strike. The local MP Helen Davidson's house was picketed. The
collector office in Kanaykumari was also picketed. Small protests
happened in Chennai and Thoothukudi. From the neighboring villages of
Koodankulam nuclear plant town ship where the staff of the plant
including Russians stay the people mostly women have refused to go for
work. The non violent protests that are happening is not being paid
enough attention by the governments and they are playing with peoples
emotions and patience.