Kudankulam Nuclear terror: Supreme Court lambasts Regime over Liability Exemption

-DR. ABDUL RUFF

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Pollution of atmosphere harms the universe, harms the people themselves. Nuclear reactor operations deadly makes the climate change process faster.  But in its over ambition to make more nukes to add tlo regional imbalances by nuke race, India refuses to heed the international outcries and adamant about its nuclear terror projects, thereby helping many mafias make quick money at the cost of impending human tragedy. .

Nuclear arms and operations are the most dangerous phenomenon threatening the very existence of humanity. But India cares a damn about human safety

By fooling the people and nation and by misleading the judiciary, among others, India’s arrogant regime has gone ahead to impose one of its prestigious nuclear terror plants in Kudankulam village, ostensibly for electric generation, knowing full well the deadly risks involved and consequences of such terrorist misadventures when there are other safe techniques for that purpose.

Russia has clearly stated it would not take any liability risk with the Kudankulam terror plant and the risks involved are entirely resting with Indian regime. The Supreme Court on October 03 questioned the rationale behind liability wavier to Russia on the dangerous nuclear terror plant disaster issue.  The SC asked the Central government to explain whether exempting the Russian manufacturer of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant's reactor could adversely cost India's exchequer and tax payers in the event of a tragedy taking place because of faulty reactor.

It is clear that KKNPP suffers from several serious issues that need to be resolved before the plant can be commissioned. Lakhs of people living in the vicinity of the plant are bound to be apprehensive in such a situation. Instead of dealing with these issues and addressing the concerns in a meaningful way, the government has launched a wave of repression and has slapped 8,000 sedition cases against peaceful protesters

The safety measures recommended by the Atomic Energy Regulation Board have not been put in place by nuclear plant promoters and Indian government agencies have not determined till date the site for storing spent nuclear fuel.

Petitioner's counsel Prashant Bhushan argued that commissioning the plant without 17 safety measures recommended by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) could spell doom if a tragedy struck the plant. Bhushan also brought to the ap[ex court’s notice about the nuclear liability law and alleged that the exemption to Russian manufacturer of any liability was in breach of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Act, 2010.

Although the India regime tactfully hid the truth about population living in the locality, a large number of people lived around Kudankulam terror plant and they would face grave risk to their health and life if the nuclear installation went critical without the 17 safety measures being implemented. Bhushan requested the court to take an undertaking from the Centre not to commission the nuclear plant till a decision was pronounced on the petition. But the court referred to the 'Jal Yatra' protests and said, "It is not so easy to commission the plant."

The apex bench, however, refused to pass any order and asked the petitioners to implead the NDMA. The apex court earlier had refused to stay the loading of fuel in the plant but had agreed to examine the risk associated with the project. The court was hearing pleas by social activists G Sundarrajan and others for restraining the government from commissioning the plant.

After last year's nuclear disaster in Fukushima in Japan, the AERB had recommended 17 safety measures for the plant but the plant operator adopted only six of them. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, which operates the plant, had earlier, as a usual way of falsely assuring safety, said the plant has been so designed that it can withstand natural events like earthquake; tsunami etc and even in case of terrorist attack, the structure would not release radioactive rays in public domain.

Indian nuke agents say nuclear plants in India cannot blast like the Japanese ones.

This comment came from a bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra, which is hearing a petition challenging a Madras high court decision to allow KNPP to commission work.

Commissioning of the nuclear plant amidst the populations in Kudankulam is the correct approach to counter the govt for faulty or hasty decisions. The court of law can very well establish the truth, rather than bashing through the media which does not carry any credentials.

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant suffers from lack of safety measures and is plagued by several other "serious issues". It must not be commissioned till they are resolved.

Tamilnad government of Jayalalithaa has attacked the protestors and filed false cases against them. Earlier she supported the popular strikes and asked the Manmohan regime to shut down the nuclear plant. But later, under duress, she caved in. She is facing serious corruption cases in courts and she needs the centre help. For her, her own skin is more important than the lives of ordinary people.

People of Kudankulam are suffering.  Sympathy and solidarity are very important and fine but they need financial help.. They are helpless humans targeted by a mighty nuke regime. Manmohan and his nuclear agents in his cabinet earlier had said USA is funding them. Indian regime is free to tell blatant lies to discredit the movement and save its own skins.  Indian regime has wasted huge resources on  nuclear deals.   

Dismantle the Kudankulam nuclear plant and let people live in safety and peace. There cannot be better wisdom than abandoning the nuclear route for progress.