CHENNAI: With Centre and Department of Atomic Energy(DAE) trying their level best to contain the Anti-Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, protestors took a pluralistic route to strengthen their bases in their agitation against the Nuclear Plant.Muslim and Dalit outfits jumped into the protestors bandwagon considering the humanitarian crisis.P Abdul Sadar, general secretary, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, who hails from Kalpakkam, wondered what precautionary measures were taken by the DAE to evacuate people in the event of a crisis.“In Fukushima accident, over 1 lakh people who could be exposed were cleared from the danger zone within 1 hour. All those evacuated were kept under medical care with all necessary medicines and food until the radiations were proved to have become null”, he recalled.“Otherwise, we would have never understood what it takes to save the human lives around nuclear plants and would the same be possible in Kalpakkam and Koodankulam,” Sadar said.“We have family members among us living with thyroid cancer, some diagnosed and many yet to be diagnosed,” he said and added “when Kalpakkam reactor was commissioned, there were claims that the standards of living would get better which never happened even after 30 years”.Echoing the views of Sadar, SM Bakkar, president, India Towheed Jamaath, demanded a review of Kalpakkam plant on the health hazards and a white paper report to this effect.“People may ask why Muslims are suddenly interested? We want everyone to live. We need electricity only if we live,” Bakkar said.T Moorthy, state secretary, Paraiyar Peravai, narrated the woes of the people living around Kalpakkam.VT Padmanabhan, member, European Commission for Radiation Risk, said water supply to the plant will lead to disasters in KKNPP.TSS Mani, of People’s Union for Civil Liberties, said money was flowing into the country to scuttle the anti-KKNPP protests.
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