Activists plan 'Kudankulam Chalo' on March 15

Anti-nuclear activists on Monday announced a 'Kudankulam Chalo' rally on March 15, urging the government to "stop harassing" those protesting construction of the proposed nuclear plant there.

The activists said construction should be halted till people's fears on the nuclear plant in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu are allayed through dialogue.

"A 'Kudankulam Chalo' agitation has been organised on March 15 where people from across the country will be urged to visit the proposed site and see the truth for themselves," P K Sundaram of Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace told reporters.

A statement, signed by several eminent citizens and released here by CNPD, said, "We urge the government to cease harassment and persecution of activists of the anti-nuclear movements in Kudankulam and other sites, to drop concocted charges against them, and instead to resume dialogue.

"Until people's fears and concerns are allayed, all nuclear power-plant construction must be halted," said the statement signed by NAC members Aruna Roy and Harsh Mandar, Arundhati Roy, Ramchandra Guha and Romila Thapar among others.

Commenting on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks that foreign funded NGOs do not appreciate the country's concerns, the statement said, the "foreign hand" charge sounds "especially bizarre" because the government has staked all on installing foreign-origin reactors and tried to dilute the nuclear liability Act under foreign pressure.

The activists have called for an independent, thorough, transparent review of safety of nuclear installations by a broadly representative body, which should also include civil society representatives.