Intelligence Bureau Checking For Foreign Involvement In Kudankulam Protests

By Srinivas Laxman | Top News
October 10, 2011

As PM Singh assures the Tamil Nadu delegation on the safety of the Kudankulam nuclear plant, the Department of Atomic Energy has asked the Intelligence Bureau to check if the agitation was funded by any foreign group.

AsianScientist (Oct. 10, 2011) – Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced on Friday that the Central government will form a small group of experts to address the concerns raised by representatives of those staying around the Kudankulam Atomic Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, officials of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) suspected that their recent agitation could have had a foreign backing.

Singh announced the formation of the experts group when an all-party delegation led by Tamil Nadu finance minister, O. Pannerselvan, met him in New Delhi to voice their concern about the safety standards of the Russian-aided Kudankulam atomic power plant.

After hearing the delegation, Singh assured that “nothing will be done that will threaten the safety or livelihood of any section of society, particularly of those living in the vicinity of the project.”

Simultaneously, in a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha, he explained that the safety track record of India’s nuclear power plants over the past 335 reactor-years was good. After the Fukushima accident, even more safety measures had been put into place in the nuclear power plants, he said.

He further pointed out in his letter that he shared the concerns of the local population regarding safety, and added that a bill for the formation of a new Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority has been introduced in Parliament which will be an autonomous body.

As Singh was giving all these assurances to the Tamil Nadu delegation, in Mumbai, DAE officials requesting anonymity revealed to Asian Scientist Magazine on Friday that their department had asked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to check if the agitation was funded by any foreign group.

“Our leads suggest that a foreign group could have been involved. Anyway we are waiting for the outcome of the IB inquiries. It is a very sensitive and serious issue,” the official said.

According to him, the DAE’s suspicion about the role of a foreign hand in the agitation is based on the following factors: first, the Fukushima accident took place in March 2011. Why should it take six months for those staying near the Kudankulam plant to launch a protest? If the Fukushima mishap had immediately triggered an agitation, then their fears and apprehensions would have been genuine, he said.

Again, the stir took place on the eve of the first of the two 1,000 MW reactors becoming operational. The original plan envisaged the first reactor attaining criticality in November 2011. According to the official, the timing of the agitation points to the possibility of a foreign firm, which is attempting to sell atomic reactors to India, having a possible role in the agitation. Foreign countries have been allowed to enter into nuclear commerce with India after firming up of the Indo-US nuclear deal which completes three years on October 8, 2011.

Asked to identify the foreign firm, the official declined. “But let me tell you that it is a clear attempt at sabotage of India’s nuclear program by a vested interest,” he said.

Also the protest took place when Tamil Nadu was preparing for local elections. Considering this, Jayalalithaa decided to win the support of the local population residing around Kudankulam by backing their demands. “The agitation therefore also had political overtones,” the official said.

In another development, the DAE has expressed serious concern about Google Earth recently posting new commercial satellite imagery of Bhabha Atomic Research Center’s BARC) new uranium enrichment facility which is weapon-related.

The images also show a new uranium enrichment facility under construction. This site located close to Chitradurga town in Karnataka is expected to be larger than the existing one at Ratnahalli near Mysore.

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
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