Games Politicians Play
It's grandstanding that has led to the impasse at Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) since September 12 (when the hunger strike by 127 persons began) and it's grandstanding from politicians in Tamil Nadu and Kerala that has stoked the fire at the Mullaperiyar dam, the latest being CM Jayalalitha's (Vaiko of the MDMK has added his voice to it) demand to the PM that CISF should immediately be deployed at the 116-year-old dam to secure it. In fact, the state government has even approached the Supreme Court seeking CISF. But was the state government taking credit – or trying to apportion credit to all including the DMK (unbelievable as it sounds) – when she said TN need not have a special assembly session "since the parties are united on the issue"?
A few summers ago, BJP leader B S Yeddyyurappa drummed up the Hogennakal issue on the eve of the assembly poll in Karnataka and that paved the way for him to become the CM. While there's no immediate poll here or in Kerala (since both states went to polls at the same time this summer), Kerala's politicians are reportedly pandering to the real estate lobby and here, the AIADMK cannot be seen as taking a different line from the DMK on a major emotive issue.
Upping the Ante
Vaiko organized a one-day fast at Theni after beginning a campaign on the issue from Madurai. On December 21, he plans a road blockade on the TN-Kerala border. Already there is trouble on the border. AICC member Karti P Chidambaram agrees that "politicians are whipping up a frenzy for their partisan and parochial reasons." What he says is quite alarming. "I anticipate a serious crisis. It will be worse than the crisis between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Cauvery."
Already both CM Jayalalitha and former CM Karunanidhi have talked about TN citizens and vehicles with TN registration numbers carrying Sabarimalai pilgrims being targeted in Kerala. Jayalalitha has talked of how there has been "esteem and goodwill between the states" but one only hopes that her reference to the sizeable population of Malayalees here won't have the effect of them being targeted in a tit for tat. What has happened is that Tamil National groups attacked shops and business establishments owned by Keralites here in Chennai mid-week forcing some to close. Cadres even vandalized jewellery stores. The worst affected was Theni district, the border district with Kerala which has been hit most since the Mullaperiyar controversy broke out.
But politicians when faced with an emotive issue only look at the leverage not the effect on the population. Which is why Karti says, "In my opinion, both Koodankulam and Mullaperiyar are safe." But is he being just politically correct, when he says, "For the record, I think Tamil Nadu is morally right in its stand"?
A Nuclear Plant on Ice
The Yeddy game was in evidence at Koodankulam. First, the CM took the line that the plant was necessary and safe. Then she sniffed the political capital she could make at the local body elections. So she had to pamper those behind the agitation. Here, she even had the cabinet pass a resolution to the effect that the PM should "allay fears" before he allowed work to go at KKNPP, which was on the brink of commissioning its first 1000 MW unit. But "allaying fears" seems to be a nebulous deal because although the PM deployed former President APJ Abdul Kalam, also known as India's missile man, to go and explain in Tamil to the agitators the benefits of power to move forward in a power-deficient state, only a stalemate has been reached.
And politicians are still not done playing their games. This week Congress leaders including TNCC president B. S. Gnanadesikan and E. V. K. S. Elangovan held a demonstration seeking early operation of the plant. Although nobody in the country has any doubts that the Congress PM Manmohan Singh supports nuclear power, why did it take the Congress here so much time to support him? Is it because having taken over as the TNCC president, Gnanidesikan had to show he was doing something? He took over mid-November and one of the first things he said was that he would ask the centre to investigate the source of funds for the ongoing agitation. Incidentally how this agitation has been sustained for so long keeps on coming up again and again.
Show Me the Money
Union Minister of state in the PMO, V Narayanaswamy, who was sent here in the initial days to broker a truce so the plant could start, has said that the centre has sent notices to six organizations including churches under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act to account for all the foreign funds they have received over the last three years. Narayanaswamy says, "Organisers claimed they collected money from the villagers, but have not given an audit report. How are the villagers contributing money if they are not working?" He adds that protestors are being brought in trucks and cars and those who are not taking part in the fast are given meals. "Where are they getting the money?"
His dark hints seem to tie in with those made by the Russian Ambassador to India, Alexander M Kadakin, saying that Russian authorities had "great suspicions". "We still don't know why it took six months for the protests to erupt after Fukushima and also who is paying for the food and shamiana used by protestors." Although he did not name his "rivals" that were fomenting trouble and underwriting the costs of the agitation, there have been reports saying money from the US (anti-nuclear activists and churches) are being funnelled into Idinthakarai.
Agitation Fatigue?
Scientist in the UK have said that what happened at Fukushima (earthquake of 9.1on the Richter scale that set off a tsunami that brought 15 metre- waves crashing down) is unlikely to repeat. It's a bit like constantly worrying that you'll get hit by a bus while crossing the road (although the likelihood of that happening with the chaotic traffic and the lack of civility by drivers is extremely high here). The initial scare is petering out and people are becoming more philosophical.
And considering that in India, fate is blamed for anything and everything, it's surprising that the agitation at KKNPP has been ongoing. Although ground reports do say it's petering out. But, a former naval chief of staff, Admiral Ramadas and his wife participated in the protest this week. "Nobody can say there will never be an accident. Calling the plant 100 per cent safe is wishful thinking," he says. But, Karti argues that Koodankulam is not even in a seismic zone. He is sure " the agitation will die down".
Last Sunday, which was the 48th day of the resumed agitation (it was called off after the cabinet resolution and resumed after the local body elections), the turnout was around 150. This happened although the Vijayapathi panchayat, which includes Idinthakarai, passed a resolution demanding that the plant be closed a few days ago.
"At one time, we saw as many as 7,000 come in to squat along with their children. This senseless protest is fizzling out, at last," said an official gleefully. In the early days, the agitation at Idinthakarai got its strength from women and parishioners and local fishermen.
The church has withdrawn from the agitation for several weeks and now with Christmas coming, it's otherwise occupied. The fishermen are slowly going out to sea to fish. "The rest of the public is busy because this is the season of festivals and marriages," said another official. In a few weeks, TN will celebrate one of its biggest festivals, Pongal. So life must move on.
Powerless Demand Power
This state was to get 925 MW from the 2,000 MW of power expected to be generated by the first two reactors of the Koodankulam plant and the industry-belt in Coimbatore is getting restive. On December 20, nearly 20 industrial associations are expected to take part in the state-wide protest and fast planned to demand the immediate commissioning of the KKNPP, according to Coimbatore District Small Industries Association president M. Kandhasami. He says even in Tirunelveli (which is near the epicenter of the agitation) small and medium-scale entrepreneurs would congregate and take part in the agitation.
Meanwhile, the central government committee, appointed to allay the fears of locals, will meet in three weeks in Kanyakumari to discuss the panel's responses to the issues raised by protestors and people. "The committee is studying the issues raised by the members of People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) during our second meeting with the state government appointed panel," A.E. Muthunayagam, convenor of the 15-member expert panel said. The central panel was formed at the behest of the PM. The state panel has representatives of the PMANE that is spearheading the movement against the nuclear power plant.
Good Money After Bad
It's always mentioned that Rs 13,000 crore was spent on KKNPP before the commissioning got aborted because of the agitation. No one talks about the lakhs or even crores that the country lost while politicians and anti-nuclear activists have held it to ransom for almost four months.
Actually here are the numbers now. The delay in commissioning has cost the tax-payer Rs 2,653 crores in addition to the Rs 13, 171 crores already spent. KKNPP officials now say that the completion cost will now climb to Rs 15,824 crores and the project is only expected sometime next year.
But some of the heartburn about the agitation can be allayed by officials' explanation that there was also a delay in getting certain components from Russia. The original date of commissioning was December 2007 and that was revised to December 2010 and then further put off to September 2011. And it was when the "dry run" happened that the agitation was triggered and took off. Now commissioning could be next year or the next or the next. Who cares when it's public money?
Why This Kolaveri Di?
Kolaveri is something one is increasingly seeing on the roads. What BJP MP Siddhu did at the toll gate on his way from Chennai to Nellore — a toll attendant was bundled into his car and taken for a ride to teach him a lesson for having the temerity to stop the vehicle for whizzing through without showing ID (incidentally, why should our esteemed MPs not pay toll?) — is just one example of Kolaveri.
This soup song, which has become an anthem for the young, hopefully will land those with road rage in the soup. Chennai traffic police have come up with hoardings on busy traffic junctions hoping rash drivers will imbibe the message and slow down. "The song is a rage among youngsters, so we decided to use it. Youngsters get angry while driving because of bad roads, traffic, etc. Our message to them is 'keep your cool'," says additional commissioner of police (traffic), Sanjay Arora. The traffic police has also uploaded the banner "Why this Kolaveri di — Drive without anger — Chennai traffic police for safe driving" designed by a Facebook fan Kravmaga Sreeram. One hopes the soup song brings down rage.
But rage has been triggered by the song in some Chennai schools. What has made them see red is that the song might be a bad influence on children with its line ' handula glassu, glass la sotchu'. Among those who disapprove is K R Nandakumar, TN nursery, primary, matriculation and higher secondary schools association secretary. He says, "The very word kolaveri (which means an urge to kill) will have a bad influence on children." But not all agree. The jhatkas and matkas accompanying the double entendre in many other Tamil songs is cited in defence. And many parents don't take this conservative view either although they are not for children belting it out in class when a teacher is absent. So, as they say in Hyderabad (where the song is a rage, pun unintended) : "Light le lo."
AUTHORS: PUSHPA IYENGAR
TAGS: PROTESTS | NUCLEAR DEAL - POWER & OTHER ISSUES | POWER
SECTION: NATIONAL
SUBSECTION: CHENNAI CORNER
PLACES: TAMIL NADU
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