While Modi is in US, back home in Gujarat villagers plan anti-nuclear protest at proposed Mithi Virdi site

Villagers' protest public hearing on N-plant in March 2013

By Our Representative
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the US and his supporting NRIs are chanting “Modi, Modi”, back home in Gujarat, tens of villages surrounding the proposed site for the 6,000 MW nuclear power plant are set to stage a major protest rally. To be held in the Mithi-Virdi-Jaspara region of Bhavnagar district of Gujarat on April 28, during the protest, when Modi will have intense discussions in the White House, the anti-nuclear campaigners are likely to insist that the Early Works Agreement signed in 2012 between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NCPCIL) and Westinghouse Electric Corporation for the project be scrapped.
Available details say, the issue of solidifying the agreement, which was reached under the previous UPA government, is on agenda during Modi’s talks in the White House, and Modi’s team frantically wants to tackle certain ticklish “administrative issues” for implementing the Early Works Agreement with the US company, which had agreed to supply six 1000 MW (AP 1000) nuclear reactors for the Gujarat plant.
The protest will take place at a time when government authorities have cracked down on anti-nuclear protesters of Tamil Nadu’s Kudankulam, imposing sedition charges against them. One of the leading protesters, SP Udayakumar, convener of the People's Movement against Nuclear Energy, was recently refused permission to embark plane for Kathmandu to attend a UN-sponsored human rights conference on the ground that criminal sedition charges have been leveled against him. So far, however, there has not been any such extreme step in Gujarat.
This will be the second major protest this year against the proposed nuclear plant. Top environmentalist Rohit Prajapati of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, in the forefront of the anti-nuclear campaign in Gujarat, believes that in all 152 villages with a population of more than 200,000 in 30 km radius of the proposed nuclear power plant will be “adversely affected” because of the project. “The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture. The rich alluvial soil here supports crops like groundnut, wheat, bajra, and cotton, and fruits like mango, chikoos and coconut”, Prajapati said in a statement.
Quoting sources in the agriculture department, Prajapati says, the area also “grows and supplies” vegetables like onion, brinjal, gourd, tomatoes, and drumsticks on a regular basis to other parts of the state, and the climate and the soil are suitable for cashew nuts. “Following the footsteps of the previous UPA Government, Modi’s US visit is all set to mortgage the environment and dilute the Nuclear Liability Act, so that private profits are safeguarded even as Fukushima exemplified all over again how risky nuclear power plants are”, Prajapati insisted.
The earlier protest was on March 9, 2014, when the gram panchayats of five most-affected villages passed a resolution declaring the entire Mithi Virdi-Jaspara region as nuclear free zone, sending its copy to President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, chief minister Modi, and UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon. The resolution declared, “At a time when Special Investment Region has become the most lobbied term in the state of Gujarat, this region too should be announced as SAR (special agricultural region) for agricultural purpose.”
In all 777 hectares (ha) of land in Jaspara, Mithivirdi, Khadarpa, and Mandva villages will be affected for the proposed nuclear power plant, and the state government has declared its intention to invoke the “public purpose” clause of the new land acquisition Act -- Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 -- for acquiring land. The application of the public purpose clause would mean that the state government would not need to seek the consent of 70 per cent of the affected villagers for acquiring land.
The reason being forwarded for the people of so several villages feeling uncomfortable is not far to seek: While the terms of Reference for the Ministry of Environment and Forests claimed an area of 10 km radius was under the direct influence of the proposed nuclear power plant, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study of the N-plant said 30 km of radius would need to be studied on possible impact of radioactivity. The word has spread about this, and the villagers are angry. There is also another fear: the site of the project is just about five km from a top lignite mining site, while Asia’s biggest ship-braking yard Alang is only 20 km away.
Environmentalists have already taken strong exception to the EIA report, which was put up for public hearing in March 2013, saying the consultants, Engineers India Ltd (EIL), are not accredited for preparing a report on the proposed N-plant. In fact, NPCIL sources say, no agency in India is accredited to assess nuclear power projects by National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET). EIL had applied (to NABET) for accreditation in 2010. “NABET gave permission to EIL to carry out EIA. Besides, all NPCIL’s projects are assessed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) as far as radioactive emissions is concerned,” an NCPIL executive has been quoted as saying.

Comments

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar* Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

Kerala government data implicates the Covid vaccines for excess deaths

By Bhaskaran Raman* On 03 Dec 2024, Mr Unnikrishnan of the Indian Express had written an article titled: “Kerala govt data busts vaccine death myth; no rise in mortality post-Covid”. It claims “no significant change in the death rate in the 35-44 age group between 2019 and 2023”. However, the claim is obviously wrong, even to a casual observer, as per the same data which the article presents, as explained below.

PM-JUGA: Support to states and gram sabhas for the FRA implementation and preparation and execution of CFR management plan

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan* (Over the period, under 275(1), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided fund to the states for FRA implementation. Besides, some states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra allocated special fund for FRA implementation. Now PM-JUDA under “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan(DAJGUA) lunched by Prime Minister on 2nd October 2024 will not only be the major source of funding from MoTA to the States/UTs, but also will be the major support to the Gram sabha for the preparation and execution of CFR management Plan).

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.

Balod tech fest tests students’ interest in innovative ideas in the fields of science, engineering, start-ups

By Our Representative A techno fest scheduled on December 20 and 21 in Balod district of Chhattisgarh will test the innovative ideas of school students in the fields of science, engineering and start-ups. For this two-day fest organised at Maheswari Bhawan of the district, a total of 824 models made by students were initially registered. Out of those, a selection committee chose 200 models from several schools spread over five blocks of Balod. These will be on display on these two days from 10am to 4.30pm. Out of many ideas, one of the most interesting models is a smart glove which can be used by children with impairments and disabilities. For those who cannot speak at all or have speech difficulty, they can ask for help from caregivers by pressing their fingers on the glove after wearing it. This will attract attention.

Local businessman subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse: Demand for accountability, justice

By Kirity Roy* On October 9, 2024, a disturbing incident of harassment and abuse took place in the Swarupnagar Block of North 24 Parganas district, involving a local businessman, Hasanur Gazi, who was subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse, and religious discrimination by a Border Security Force (BSF) constable. The incident, which occurred at the Hakimpur Checkpost, has raised serious concerns about the safety and dignity of citizens living in border areas, especially those belonging to religious minorities.

Affable but arrogant, embodying contradictions, Raj Kapoor's legacy will endure as long as Bollywood exists

By Harsh Thakor* December 14 marks the birth centenary of Raj Kapoor, a filmmaker and visionary who revolutionized Bollywood, elevating it to new heights by exploring uncharted emotional and social territories. Kapoor wasn’t just a filmmaker; he was a storyteller who touched the souls of the masses and reflected the pulse of post-partition India with unparalleled depth. His films acted as a unifying force in a divided nation, transcending social and cultural boundaries.

Suspicious death of Dalit laborer in BSF custody: A call for justice

By Kirity Roy* The tragic and suspicious death of Mr. Babai Barui, a Dalit daily wage laborer from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, has raised serious concerns regarding custodial violence and the violation of fundamental rights. Mr. Barui, son of Sukharanjan Barui, resided in Pallishree Sangsad, Bongaon, and was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) on November 9, 2024, near the Angrail border on allegations of smuggling. The very next day, he was found dead under mysterious circumstances, with visible injuries that point toward possible custodial violence.

Search This Blog