The indefinite fast against the Kudankulam Nuclear Project in Tamil Nadu will soon be called off, says protest leader Udhaya Kumar said today after meeting with Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Villagers were until yesterday threatening to derail India's latest nuclear project with concerns over safety clouding the Kudankulam project. On Tuesday Prime Minister's emissary, Minister of State in the PMO V. Narayanasamy was in the village to allay the fears of the local population, up in arms against the project over safety concerns, visited the protest site and made efforts to hold discussions with the leaders but in vain.
High drama preceded his visit to the protest venue as the core group of agitators declined to meet him in Radhapuram area here, saying the invitation came at the eleventh hour and was conveyed through a junior village official.
"It was an insult to our sentiments. We were not respected. Hence we decided not to meet the Minister at Radhapuram," S V Udhayakumar, Convenor of the People's Movement against Atomic Power, said in the presence of Narayanasamy.
The villagers, who have been on an indefinite fast for the last 10 days against the nuclear power project at Idinthakarai maintained a grave silence to ‘symbolise their disappointment with the government’, when the minister tried to address them.
Minister of state for parliament affairs and Prime Minister’s Office V. Narayanasamy is the first representative of the government to visit the people since they started the fast 10 days ago. The minister waited for an hour at the Radhapuram traveller’s bungalow before heading to Idinthakarai.