The ‘Koodankulam Conflict’ Map

	Us	Them
Actors	Fisherfolk, farmers, workers, Dalits, Muslims, women, children etc. Supporters in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and rest of India. Supporting political parties, Social movements, Human rights groups etc. Some sections of Media Some international friends	Government of India Government of Tamil Nadu  Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, CISF, Tamil Nadu Police, Central and State intelligence agencies etc.  Atomic Energy Commission, DAE, NPCIL, AERB etc. Political parties such as Congress, BJP, DMK, AIADMK etc. Indian Bureaucracy Much of Indian Media US, Russia, France governments MNCs of these countries Spy agencies of these counties IAEA etc.
Positions	Nuclear power is bad, ugly and expensive. Nuclear power plant is dangerous and unwanted. Let us think like a creative leader and look beyond thermal and nuclear energy. Let’s consider ‘New Energies’. Let’s put Indian citizens’ interests first.	Nuclear power is good, clean and cheap. Nuclear power plant is safe and badly needed. Let us continue our colonized thinking and persist with thermal and nuclear energy. Let’s consider nuclear energy. Let’s put foreign countries’ and their MNCs’  interests first.
Interests	Safeguarding India’s natural resources such as sea, seafood, land, ground water, air etc. Protecting ordinary people’s livelihood and sustainable development. Ensuring everyone’s food security, nutrition security, water security etc. Avoiding health problems of ordinary people; and protecting the progeny. Protecting Nature, Life, Future	Producing more electricity and ensuring energy security and national security. Promoting the development agenda of the rich and famous and powerful. Ensuring the power brokers’ profits, commissions and kickbacks. Ignoring such hidden costs and persisting with short-term gains. Money, Money, Money
Gain	A few menial jobs Low income from shops, services	Lots of good jobs Lots of contracts, sub-contracts Money, Power, Prominence Electricity Good life
Loss	350+ serious cases and legal hassles Police action and harassment Loss of income and wealth Loss of public money on pro-nuclear campaigns Loss of privacy and governmental intrusions Natural resources Livelihood Displacement Health Wellbeing of children and grandchildren Future
Attacks Faced	Dangerous false cases such as sedition, waging war on the State etc. Arrests, imprisonment, torture. Imprisoning women, juveniles, and children. Legal hassles, refusing bail. Police searches, attacks and harassment. Having anti-social elements vandalize private properties and homes with police connivance. Attack on negotiating team. Intelligence departments’ psychological warfare. Tear gas attack, lathi charge, firing. Murder by police. Aerial harassment of Coast Guard planes. Death threats.	Nonviolent and peaceful siege, processions and agitations (for a few hours).
Slanders Faced	Instigated by opposition parties. Small group’s protest. Fishermen struggle. Christian struggle. Foreign countries’ and agencies’ plot. NGO-funded struggle. Missionaries’ and priests’ protest. Struggle promotes smuggling in the sea and coasts. Undertaken to harass governments. Struggle promoted by incentives such as Rs. 500, biriyani and alcohol. Misguiding innocent people. Stubborn and unwilling to listen. Receiving foreign money. Using human shield. Character assassination of leaders, casting aspersions on leaders’ integrity etc. Accusing of using violence. Publishing leaders’ addresses, contact numbers, emails in a newspaper. Doubting people’s sanity and sending psychiatrists. Arresting foreigners and connecting with struggle. Linking us with Naxalites, terrorists, ISI spies etc. Insulting women and questioning their morality.
Machinations		Telling half-truths and non-truths to people. Dividing people with the help of immoral media persons. Setting up corrupt media persons against the struggle. Spreading rumors and  harassing people. Dividing people along caste and religious lines. Trying to instigate violence in the protest programs. Trying to ‘buy’ weak protestors. Splitting people by creating gangs and planting goons. ‘Buying’ media and media persons. Instigating businessmen and industrialists against people. Using scientists and experts to confuse people. Setting up proxy protesters against the struggle. Setting up religious leaders to influence people’s opinion. Distributing freebies. Canvassing students and youth in colleges with government influence. Doing campaigns with government influence. Creating artificial power cuts. Sending in spies and agents to endanger peace. Promising houses, roads and other “development” projects. Promising crores of rupees and wooing panchayat leaders and local leaders to the government side.
Favored Solutions	Abandon all NPPs Focus on ‘New Energies’	Start more NPPs Produce nuclear energy
The Way Out	·         Announce a moratorium on all nuclear activities all over the country. ·         Present a Cost-Benefit-Procedural Impact analysis of NPPs. ·         Do financial, energy, environmental, social audit of the existing NPPs. ·         Set up an “empowered and independent” regulatory authority. ·         Ensure transparency, accountability, and popular participation in nuclear installations. ·         Facilitate a national debate on nuclear deals, Uranium mines, reactors, waste dumps, and nuclear bombs. ·         Let people decide what they need!