Medha Patkar backs stir

TIRUNELVELI: Social activist Medha Patkar on Monday called for continued protest against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), after visiting the protest venue at Idinthakarai in Tirunelveli district.Reassuring the agitators of her support, the activist stated in her address that she would take steps to spread the message of the protest outside Tamil Nadu.“The real power is outside the Parliament and Assembly. The voice of the people should be respected,” she told the gathering.  Patkar, who is not a new face to the coastal villagers of the district, said the State should have exercised its power by passing a resolution in the Assembly or the Cabinet to stall the project.On Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa shooting a letter to the Prime Minister on the  Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project  on Monday, Patkar said it gave some hope to the people, but was not very assuring as Jayalalithaa had asked the Prime Minister to send the authorities “to hold discussions with the people of Koodankulam, address their fears and convince the people.” Slamming the  Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, Patkar said it was not built as per the regulations and that no public hearing was conducted. She said the people’s demand was closure of the plant and nothing else.   Patkar also asked the people to support the traders’ strike that was planned on Tuesday and called for the fishermen of neighbouring Kerala to strike work demanding  Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project’s closure.  Patkar said Jayalalithaa preferred to remain indifferent to the fasting agitators at Idinthakarai, though she sent representatives to attend Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s fast in Ahmedabad on the very first day.