Admiral
L Ramdas, (retd) Lara-Ramu Farm, PVSM,AVSM,VrC,VSM Bhaimala Gaon, PO Kamarle,
Former
Chief of the Naval Staff Alibag-402209, Raigad Dist
Magsaysay
Awardee for Peace Maharashtra
02141-248711/0-9860170960
<lramdas@gmail.com>
Sept 11 2012
Dr
Man Mohan Singh
Prime
Minister
My Dear Prime Minister,
KOODANKULAM
I am troubling you once again Mr Prime Minister to voice my
concerns regarding the shocking developments and unwarranted police excesses at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu
over the past 48 hours.
As
Law and Order is the primary
responsibility of the State Government, I have highlighted the need for
terminating police excesses in my letter sent yesterday to Kum Jayalalitha,
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and copied to the Chairman, National Human Rights
Commission, Delhi. This letter is
addressed to you in your capacity as Prime Minister of this Country responsible
for matters of Internal Security and
also as the Minister responsible for the Department of Atomic Energy.
In the above context, I would also like to
raise serious concerns regarding Nuclear Energy and the Nuclear Power pathway
planned for our country. I have written
to you on several occasions about this and related concerns and whilst I have received the token
acknowledgement from your secretariat, alas it has not gone beyond that.
The Prime Minister will also recall that
about five years ago, my wife, Lalita Ramdas and I, had called on you and
suggested that you might consider
setting up task forces in our IITs
to evolve suitable Renewable Energy technologies
to meet our varied anticipated power demands. We had also volunteered to
work with you to prepare a potential CARBON FREE AND NUCLEAR FREE ENERGY ROAD
MAP FOR INDIA. Once again, for reasons best known to you, the Government chose to follow the dictates of voices which
said that if India was to grow ,”There is No Alternative” [TINA factor?] but to
go down the nuclear energy and coal power road.
This has meant inevitably large scale
requirement of land, displacement of peoples, and the natural fears about
nuclear plants, made more real and urgent after Fukushima last year. Many of us had anticipated the kind of
developments that have taken place at Koodankulam yesterday, and now it has
actually come to pass. Despite many
committees, delegations and visits to Koodankulam including that of the former
President Dr Abdul Kalam, their assurances regarding the
safety of the plant have clearly not been convincing. Alas, even to this day,
neither the local authorities, nor the` experts’ ever attempted to meet or speak with the
people in Idinthakkarai to allay their
fears and seriously address their concerns.
A decision by the High Court in Chennai to authorise the NPCIL to go ahead and load
the fuel rods, does not over-ride the right of appeal before the Supreme Court,
which action is currently in progress. Therefore any attempt to fuel KKNPP and
operationalize the same, would be denying the people their basic right to appeal to the next
higher judicial body.
The forcible action by the Tami Nadu police
yesterday, to break up a peaceful protest staged on the beaches of Koodankulam
was unnecessary. The entire drama was presented in the Electronic media for the
whole world to see as it unfolded. Women and children were especially targeted
by an almost overwhelming police presence, fully armed with modern weapons and
equipment against an unarmed, peaceful and non-violent gathering of protesters,
mainly belonging to the fishing community. Surely we cannot take seriously the
allegations of the police that they were `trapped’ by fishing nets and hit by
sticks – the real time images speak for themselves.
Furthermore we have learned that the police marched in force through Idinthakkarai
while the community were at the Rally, and in their absence, broke into many
homes uninvited, vandalised, ransacked
and left many homes in disarray. Worst of all, we are told that the 200
year old Church, on the renovation of which considerable money was spent by contributions from the fishing folk,
has been desecrated and vandalised – including the breaking of a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Prime Minister, I have stayed in
Koodankulam two or three times, and have visited and admired this
beautiful church, and am therefore
speaking from personal knowledge because I am being constantly updated on the
current tragic events from many of the friends whom I have met on my visits.
Coming to the crucial question of liability, you as the Prime Minister have
rightly raised the critical question as to who will bear the cost in the event
of accidents to Units 3 and 4 at Koodankulam? Surely an accident can also
happen to Units 1 and 2? If the reactors were so safe as claimed and pronounced
by no less than Dr Abdul Kalam, and others including the scientists from the
expert committee of the Govt, why are the Russians shying away from committing
to the Nuclear Liability Agreement? When
no less than the Prime Minister himself
has concerns regarding the liability
question , it is but natural that the well informed fishing communities in the
vicinity, are exercised over this, and many other concerns of theirs, including
the right to life and livelihood.
The immediate way ahead as I see it is:
1. Restore all basic needs of the people mainly water, power, milk and
food and freedom of movement.
2. Release all those who have been detained by the police.
3. Restrain police from seeking out the leadership of the movement to
whom credit is indeed due for a sustained, peaceful and democratic protest in
the best Gandhian traditions.
4. Facilitate a discussion quickly with the leadership of the movement
IN Idinthakkarai ,to allay their fears and address their concerns regarding
safety of the power plant.
5. Implement the 17 or more safety measures recommended for KKNPP by
the government expert committee set up
after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. The AERB has acted prematurely in
clearing loading of fuel, before these safety measures have been implemented .
6. Review and implement the recommendations of the CAG report on the
performance of the existing AERB.
7. Expedite legislative action to make the AERB an independent
authority as promised by the Government.
In
view of the foregoing, I would strongly urge the Honourable Prime Minister to
declare a Moratorium on operationalising KKNPP and all future proposed
additions of nuclear power plants in the country.
There
are enough alternative renewable energy
resources in the country which can more than meet our developmental needs – including growth rate.
I have served the nation in uniform for
forty four years and nine months – from Cadet to Chief of the Navy, and am
proud of all the country’s achievements .
At the same time I am distressed about many policy decisions which have
not gone right. Being retired now for almost two decades, I have seen a steady
erosion of ethics and values in all
areas of our democracy. Recently I had written to you about concerns regarding the Indian Armed
Forces. Upholding of Human Rights, and
the preservation of Peace and Democracy, has been my primary concern during my
retirement.
I have witnessed the hazards of nuclear
energy from close quarters, both in and out of uniform, and have no doubt in my
mind that we need to find safe, abundant renewable energy to meet our
developmental goals. Fortunately
technologies are now available , especially solar, which are both cost
effective and feasible.
I have no doubt that you will give this
matter your personal attention and act on the recommendations with urgency.
Sincerely
Yours,
With
Warm Regards,
L.
Ramdas
September 11, 2012
September 11, 2012
CC:
Kum J Jayalalitha
Chief
Minister, Tamil Nadu
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