Koodankulam struggle: An urgent appeal
This appeal is a reflection of our collective frustration and instead of being sent to the government, it will be presented before people of India.
It is already endorsed by eminent Indians like Prashant Bhushan, Aruna Roy, Binayak Sen, Vandana Shiva, Lalita Ramdas, Partha Chatterjee, Praful Bidwai, Achin Vanaik, Gnani Sankaran, John Dayal, Meher Engineer, Sandeep Pandey etc.
On Sunday evening, the appeal was be released at India gate in Delhi by Vandana Shiva and at Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai by Binayak Sen and Anand Patwardhan.
The appeal will soon be released in several other cities too.
Full text of the appeal:
Dear Fellow Citizens of India,
On the occasion of our Parliament, the pinnacle of democratic governance, celebrating its 60th anniversary, our hard earned democracy is being ruthlessly repressed and violently suppressed. Within the accelerated race towards ‘destructive development’ and the generation of nuclear power to fuel such ‘development,’ entirely apeaceful mass protests voicing people’s legitimate dissent are brutally put down. The common man, woman and child are unheard. In utter desperation, people in Koodankulam have surrendered their ‘Voter ID cards,’ the ultimate symbol of ‘people’s power,’ which is the essence of any genuine democracy. Can there be a more ominous way to dissent?
Much like the recent anti-corruption upsurge, various actions for social, gender and cological justice and other struggles in various parts of the country to safeguard people’s rights for their lives, dignity, resources, and livelihoods, the people’s movement in Koodankulam demanding a safe future is facing callous repression from the government and continued apathy. Disappointingly, our mainstream media also persists in under-reporting this genuinely popular movement.
People in Idinthakarai village had to end their 14-day long fast this week. It is appalling that nodescription from the Tamil Nadu, or Central Government came to speak to them, and that police strength in the area has been intensified, with every possible intimidating tactic –including taking away the food ration cards of agitating villagers.
We appeal to you in a state of urgency and desperation.
The debate on India’s energy future is far from settled. We will need broader consensus and greater persuasion to ensure that India opts for the safest, most sustainable people-centric energy future.
The reactor project in Koodankulam perpetrates too many unacceptable violations of norms and procedures. The agitating people are peacefully and persistently trying to raise several important questions – both site-specific and generic with regard to nuclear power – through all possible forums. Many independent experts and scientists have already emphasized the various dangers of going ahead with the Koodankulam reactors.
At this critical juncture, we urge that realizing a wider consultation is necessary before continuing the large-scale nuclear expansion that this government is already deeply engaged in.
We entreat you to demand that the government immediately stop intimidating and harassing peaceful protesters.
It is imperative that we immediately unite by raising our voices to defend democracy and the ethos of our country. Unacceptable precedents like the outright repression and silencing of the Koodankulam people’s movement will have adverse implications for all future individual and collective struggles.
With best regards,
1. Prashant Bhushan
2. Vandana Shiva
3. Partha Chatterjee
4. Admiral L. Ramdas
5. Lalita Ramdas
6. Surendra Gadekar
7. Sanghamitra Gadekar
8. Narayan Desai
9. Anand Patwardhan
10. M G Devasahayam
11. Gnani Sankaran
12. Achin vanaik
13. Suvrat Raju
14. Saraswati Kavula
15. G Sundar Rajan
16. Adil Ali
17. Gabriele Detrech
18. Ramesh Radhakrishnan
19. R R Srinivasan
20. Sudhir Vombatkere
21. Jatin Desai
22. Sukla Sen
23. Vivek Sundara
24. Ram Puniyani
25. Shabnam Hashmi
26. John Dayal
27. EAS Sharma
28. Malem Ningthouja Chairperson, Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)
29. Aruna Rodrigues
30. Pushpa Mitra Bhargava
31. Nagesh Hegde
32. Sudha S
33. Meher Engineer
34. Arati Chokshi
35. Ujjwala Mhatre
36. Preeti Sampat
37. Kabir Khan
38. G R Vora
39. Harsh Kapoor
40. Shri Prakash
41. Praful Bidwai
42. Chandra Bhushan Chaudhary
43. Gowru Chinappa
44. A K Ramakrishnan
45. Gita Hariharan
46. Kavita Krishnan
47. Indira Chakravarthi
48. Sajeer Abdul Rahman
49. Anivar Aravind
50. Asit Das
51. Priyamvada Gopal
52. Aflatoon
53. Kamayani Bali Mahabal
54. Shankar Sharma
55. Karuna Raina
56. Xavier Dias
57. Nayana Patel
58. Stan Swamy
59. Rajeev Bhargav
60. Ilina Sen
61. Soumya Dutta
62. Vivek Monteiro
63. Madhura Chakraborty
64. Shonali Sardesai, Senior Social Scientist, World Bank
65. Jaya Seal Ghosh, Actress
66. Nirupa Bhanger, Executive Director, The Anchorage
67. Vijay Bhangar, ITT Bombay
68. Sandeep pandey
69. Neeraj Jain
70. Nivedita Menon (JNU Delhi)
71. Aditya Nigam (CSDS, Delhi)
72. Binayak Sen
73. Wilfred Dcosta, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)
74. Chitranjan Singh, PUCL
75. Prem P. Verma. Convenor, Jharkhand Alternative Development Forum, Ranchi, Jharkhand
76. M. Thimma Reddy, People\\\’s Monitoring Group on Electricity Regulation, Hyderabad
77. Dr Tushar Chakraborty, Priicipal Scientist, CSIR, Kolkata
78. B R Bawake, Chairperson, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)
79. Bhimrao Bansod, General Secretary, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)
80. B J Kerkar, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)
81. Ajit – Member,Editorial Board, Monthly Lal Nishan Leninwadi
82. Com. Uddhav Shinde, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
83. Uday Bhat, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
84. Vijay Kulkarni, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
85. Atul Dighe, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
86. Medha Thatte, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
87. Mukta Manohar, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
88. Vikas Alawani, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
89. Jeevan Surade, Maharashtra Rajya Sarva Shramik Mahasangh
90. Subhash Kakuste, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh
91. Anand Waikar, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh
92. R. R. Shevale, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh
93. P K Mudhe, Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Mahasangh
94. Rajendra Bawake, Maharashtra Rajya Kashtakari Shetkari Mahasangh
95. Balasaheb Surade, Maharashtra Rajya Kashtakari Shetkari Mahasangh
96. Subhash Kakuste, Maharashtra Rajya Kashtakari Shetkari Mahasangh
97. Harishchandra Sonawane, Maharashtra Rajya Dharangrasta ani Prakalpagrasta Sanghatana and Maharashtra Rajya Shetmajur Sanghatana
98.Sandu Jadhav, Maharashtra Rajya Dharangrasta ani Prakalpagrasta Sanghatana and Maharashtra Rajya Shetmajur Sanghatana
99.Madhav Sahasrabudhe, Pune
100.Sujit Patwardhan, Pune
101.Jyoti Punwani
102.Anand Bala
103.Adulan
104.S.Suresh Kumar
105.J.Kennedy,Advocate
106.Suma Josson
107.Manasi Pimple
108.Prafulla Samantra
109.Probal Dasgupta
110.Abhayraj Naik
111.Dipankar Chakrabarti (editor,aneek)
112.Nityanand Jayaraman, Writer, Chennai
113.Paramjeet Singh, Secretary, People’s Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi
114.H.M. Desarda
115.Krishnakant, NAPM, Gujarat
116.Nishchay Mhatre, Pune
117.Dunu Roy
118.Babu Rao Kalapala
119.Thomas Kocherry
120.Mary Mathai
121.Mahtab Alam, Civil Rights Activist and Independent Journalist , New Delhi
122.Debaprasad Roychowdhury, General Secretary, APDR
123.Bhuvi Gupta
124.Sudipta Paul, ADHIKAR, Asansol
125.Dyuti Ailawadi
126.Partha Sen
127.Katheeja Talha
128.R. Ashok Kumar
129.Rachna Dhingra & Satinath Sarangi, Bhopal Group for Information & Action
130.Rashida Bee, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh
131.Balkrishna Namdeo, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha
132.Nawab Khan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush sangharsh Morcha
133.Safreen Khan, Children Against Dow Carbide
134.Shiraz Bulsara Prabhu, Kashtakari Sanghatana, District Thane, Maharashtra.
135.Amitadyuti Kumar, Vice President, APDR, Kolkata
136.Partho Sarothi Ray
137.Rabin Chakraborty
138.Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh
139.Sirisha Naidu
140.N. Jayaram, Journalist and translator, Bangalore
141.Geeta Seshu
142.Sashank Rajwadi
143.Nirmalkumar Jhangiani
144.Aruna Roy
145.Madhu Bhaduri
146.Sunil, Samajwadi Jan Parishad
