Pressure mounted on the Indian government to resume talks with antinuclear activists after a second protester died in southern Tamil Nadu in demonstrations against the Kudankulam Atomic Power Project, India's biggest nuclear plant.
The latest wave of protests, which began Sept. 9, was prompted by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board's approval for fuel loading at the plant in August. Protesters, led by the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, question the current safety measures at the plant, which has been opposed by residents since it was first proposed in the 1980s.
“The state government is making no effort to study the nuances of our objections or looking into it,†said M.P. J esuraj, a member of the antinuclear group. “What kind of a government are you? Are you meant to be a chief minister? You must have a stance.â€
A committee representing the central government met the protesters twice last year, and Tamil Nadu's chief minister, J. Jayalalithaa, met leaders of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy in March. Since then, no further discussions have taken place.
On Thursday, the antinuclear activists formed a human chain in the waters of the Bay of Bengal, and later that day the Supreme Court refused to block the Nuclear Power Corporation of India from loading fuel for the Kudankulam power plant.
“Emotions are high after the Supreme Court refused to stay the fuel loading,†said Amritharaj Stephen, a freelance photographer and a protester who is documenting the movement.
Mr. Stephen said the protest on Friday ended around 1:30 p.m. on confirmation of the death of a protester who had been critically injured after falling into the water. Newspaper reports say that a fisherman, who was standing on some rocks in the sea, fell and hit his head as a coastal guard aircraft flew over the protesters.
He was the second to die in the latest wave of protests. On Sept. 10, another protester was killed after police opened fire on a group of demonstrators.
Mr. Jesuraj said that S.P. Udayakumar, one of the leaders of antinuclear group, is on the move to avoid arrest. On Tuesday, a Tamil Nadu court issued a warrant for Mr. Udayakumar's arrest. A police official answering the phone at the Kudankulam police station said more than 50 demonstrators have been arrested so far.
The most recent protests against Kudankulam could be tempered if the Indian government shows willingness to discuss the safety fears of citizens living in the area, said Mr. Udayakumar.
“We have been saying that the government should start a discussion with us,†said Mr. Uda yakumar by telephone from an undisclosed location on Monday. “Four or five days ago we offered to talk and soul search, but it wasn't taken up by the state government. This isn't an ego issue. This is about democracy. If majority of people object to a project, it is the government's duty to listen to them and work toward a midpoint.â€
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, when plans for a Russia-backed nuclear plant in Kudankulam were made, fishermen and other locals started protesting. The plant was postponed following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, but in 2001 construction started on the 131.7 billion rupee ($2.4 billion) project. However, in March 2011, the local antinuclear movement regained momentum after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
India has 20 operational nuclear power plants and six more under construction. Tamil Nadu currently has just two nuclear power plants, which is one third of the number in Rajasthan and half of those in Karna taka and Maharashtra.
But Tamil Nadu's third nuclear plant project at Kudankulam - expected to churn out 2,000 megawatts of power once it is operational in the coming months - would be India's largest. Industry heads signal that the plant's role is critical at a time the southern state is reeling under a severe power shortage.
“For us it will definitely help tide over the power crisis; it is needed at this stage,†said R. Sethuraman, a director on the board of Hyundai Motor India, the second-largest car company in India and a subsidiary of the South Korean automaker, which has a factory near Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.
Just 3 percent of India's energy needs are currently met by nuclear power, but the Indian government plans to set up 63,000 megawatts of nuclear power-generating capacity over the next two decades. India's push for nuclear energy comes as installed worldwide nuclear capacity has decreased in the years 1998, 2006, 2009 and again in 2011, according to the World Nuclear Report.
