In September 2011, amid intense protests by activists and residents of Idinthakarai village in Tirunelveli district, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to halt the 2000-MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Project till apprehensions in regards to the plant’s security had been addressed.
“The last few days have been very agonising for the people of Kudankulam as they are under great apprehension in the wake of the Fukushima (Japan) disaster and similar calamities reported in the press. It is only natural that the people living here fear for the safety of their families and for themselves,” Jayalalithaa stated, accusing the Centre of “abdicating its responsibilities”.
Narayanasamy deputed to meet protesters
A report in The Hindu stated that hours later, Singh referred to as up Jayalalithaa and knowledgeable her that he was deputing Minister of State in his workplace V. Narayanasamy to meet the protesters and allay their apprehensions. She responded that she would ship an an all-party delegation, led by Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam together with representatives of the individuals, to the Prime Minister. She urged Singh to ship competent officers to maintain discussions with the individuals of Kudankulam and persuade them to their satisfaction.
Curiously, just a few days earlier, she had stated there was no want for any apprehension in regards to the undertaking as ample security measures had been in place. However, she modified her thoughts as protests intensified. Besides, the native our bodies elections had been nearing. Back then, the protests had been led by S.P. Udayakumar, who had organised the villagers underneath the banner of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE).
The following month, addressing a marketing campaign assembly in Tirunelveli, Jayalalithaa informed the protesters, “I will be one among you on this issue.” This was only a day after the Prime Minister had reached out to her looking for assist in implementing the undertaking. Pointing out that the problem had grow to be “emotive and controversial”, she informed journalists that the problem couldn’t be resolved by the State in a single day.
The first indicators of the Jayalalithaa authorities’s inclination in the direction of altering its stance towards the undertaking got here 4 months later. In February 2012, the federal government introduced the structure of an skilled committee on the undertaking. A key member of this committee was M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, a identified votary of the undertaking (He handed on Tuesday, May 20, 2025). The committee comprised D. Arivuoli, Professor of Physics and Director of Crystal Growth Centre, Anna University; S. Iniyan (convenor), Professor and Director, Institute of Energy Studies, Anna University; and L.N. Vijayaraghavan, a former Additional Chief Secretary.
Jayalalithaa had earlier knowledgeable the Assembly that the committee would go into the protection system of the proposed plant and the “perceptions and apprehensions” of the native inhabitants. The State authorities would take the following step on the idea of the committee’s report, whereas one other committee of specialists, constituted by the Central authorities, had accomplished its work just a few months earlier.
Srinivasan was a type of who had at all times felt that the undertaking was within the pursuits of Tamil Nadu and the Southern States to meet their vitality necessities. He had publicly backed the undertaking, insisting that it was a protected and dependable programme and shared his expectation that Jayalalithaa would lengthen strong assist to it.
Task completed in three weeks
The committee accomplished its job inside three weeks. “Let the government have a cool view of the report,” Srinivasan stated. Commenting on the protection facet, he stated, “I have not taken back my words on the issue.” When a journalist requested if the committee had any time schedule for the federal government to act on its report, Srinivasan responded, “We don’t want to suggest any timetable.”
Simultaneously, the federal government invited a PMANE delegation for talks. After the assembly, Mr. Udayakumar stated, “The Chief Minister gave us a patient hearing. She assured us that she would go through the documents carefully. She did not express any opinion.”
Days later in March 2012, accepting the report of the skilled committee, a gathering of the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, chaired by Jayalalithaa, resolved to take steps for the early commissioning of the plant. The Cabinet additionally determined to execute a ₹500-crore package deal of improvement initiatives in Kudankulam, particularly for the welfare of the native fishermen. Jayalalithaa, thereafter, issued a press release, calling upon all to cooperate with the federal government. She stated the experiences of the 2 committees of specialists and the petitions given by the protesters had been “exhaustively scrutinised”. “There was no possibility of the occurrence of an earthquake or tsunami, and anyway the plant had the best safety features,” she declared.
Relief to merchants and business
“The decision came as a relief to a large section of people, especially trade and industry, who are bearing the brunt of a power crisis, but drew adverse comments from activists and parties opposed to nuclear energy,” wrote The Hindu.
“Meanwhile, nine persons, including two members of the anti-KKNPP struggle committee S. Sivasubramanian and K. Rajalingam, were arrested near the project site at 12.45 p.m. Though the Kudankulam parish priest, Thatheus Rajan, was also present, he was not arrested. Even in the early hours, reports trickled in that the police force was being reinforced at Kudankulam. About 3,000 personnel mobilised for the Sankarankoil by-election were moved to the area immediately after polling was over on Sunday,” the report stated.
After a niche of greater than six months, officers of the KKNPP had been allowed by the Tirunelveli district administration to enter the undertaking website. The relaxation is historical past.
Published – May 20, 2025 10:02 pm IST
