Koodankulam: More trouble for activists

There seems to be more trouble in store for the activists protesting against setting up of Koodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.

In a latest incident of government repression against the peaceful protesters, the People\\\’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy convenor S P Udayakumar, his associate M Pushparayan and eight activists have been falsely implicated in a case of attempted murder.

The case was registerd after Idinthakarai panchayat president Sagaya Peklin Egecinec lodged a complaint alleging that a gang, "instigated by PMANE activists", had tried to attack her husband Sagayaraj and his elder brother Stalin on Saturday night.

Eminent Indians have condemned this false case registered against the PMANE activists who did not play any role in the incident, as this was purely an issue between the villagers and the Panchayat.

M Pushparayan, the close associate of Udaykumar, said that the activists are only concentrating on the core issue which is the permanent closure of Koodankulam nuclear power plant.

"We would approach the court to quash all the false cases, including the latest criminal case, that have been filed against us, he said.

He added that regular attempts are being made by government and police to portray the anti-koodankulam struggle as a violent movement.

"Earlier also several false criminal cases have been filed against the activists to divert the attention from the real issue, but the attempt to tarnish the protest will not succeed, Pushparayan said.

98 false criminal cases have been registerd against Udayakumar who has also been asked to surrender his passport.

Udayakumar had sent a legal notice to the Passport Officer against this. "They have no right to ask for my passport. I am not going to give it to him," he added.