We are against nuclearism and fascism
Slogans in support of shutting Koodan Kulam plants were raised
Samajwadi Samagam demanded that Tamil Nadu government should withdraw all cases on Koodan Kulam protestors
Having started from Gandhi Smriti, Delhi on 30th January, Unite India – Save the Constitution Samajwadi Vichar Yatra reached Madurai after visiting Kanyakumari and Idinthakarai. SP Uday Kumar, Arul and Kadal Purutan ,manidas ,Devraj an and others welcomed the Yatris in Kanyakumari. Janaab Makslam of Kanyakumari Muslim Jamat and others welcomed the yatris near Kanyakumari station.
A press conference was organized.Addressing the press, Ex Mla Dr. Sunilam said that just like in the case of Chernobyl and Fukushima, nuclear disasters can happen in Koodan Kulam area and people are afraid of this possibility.First and second units are not functioning properly but still Govt has worked on other units He said that when all other countries are shutting down their nuclear plants, India should also start considering the same. He demanded that Tamil Nadu government should take back all cases on Koodan Kulam protestors
Addressing the press, Dr. Uday Kumar who is leading the Koodan Kulam anti-nuclear movement, an inspiration for anti-nuclear plants movements across the world, said that they are against both nuclearism and fascism. These two ideas are a challenge for not just India, but the world at large. He said that the country is going through dark times and this Yatra is acting as a ray of hope. Soon the day will come when the Indian government will realize the dangers of nuclear energy.
Millrat and Kepiston welcomed the Yatris in Idinthakarai.
Leader of People’s Movement against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), Millrat said that multiple cases including cases of sedition were fabricated against more than 3000 protestors have been registered during this movement which continued for 4 years . Four of our partners were also martyred. But we were neither scared nor afraid. We have been successful in creating awareness in India and outside, about the dangers of a nuclear energy.
The Yatris visited Sagayam’s house, who was one of the four martyrs, where they met Sagayam’s wife - Sabeena and her kids and gave their condolences. Sabeena told the yatris that Sangayan died on 14th September, 2012 during the protests. She said that her family rejected the compensation offered by the government but village fishermen collected 5 lakh rupees for them. Dr. Sunilam said that they demand that the government should pass a law which makes police firing illegal during protests.
Convener of NAPM, Arul said that Tamil Nadu government has become a puppet of the Modi government. We need a new kind of politics which is different from that of DMK, AIDMK, Congress, BJP and Cinema actors and whose first priority is to solve people’s problems and save their Constitutional rights.
The Yatris visited Idinthakarai beach and expressed solidarity with fisherman ,where a Jal Satyagraha had been conducted against KoodanKulam Plant.
A prime leader of PMANE, Kepiston said that the major reason for opposing KoodanKulam plant is that after Russia’s Chernobyl and Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disasters, people have come to know the large scale destruction which can be caused by radiation emitted from even small damages in nuclear plants. He said that his house was burnt during the movement which has been going on since almost 4 years and he had to incur a loss of about 15 lakhs but nevertheless, he has continued struggling.
In the evening, the yatris reached Madurai Shaheen Bagh where they displayed their solidarity with the protestors.
Talking about the Yatra, Yatra Convenor Arun Shrivastava said that his yatra has been organized on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji and to mark 85 years of socialist movement and the freedom movement, Samajwadi Samagam has launched the Samajwadi Vichar Yatra to restore the values of the socialist movement of India and to establish constitutional values and counter anti-constitutional moves of Modi Govt . Till date, the yatra has completed 111 programs in 9 states. The first phase of the Yatra will conclude in Hyderabad on 23 March which is also the birthdate of Dr. Lohia and martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh . The yatra will pass through 16 states in this phase.
In addition to the above the Yatris – Advocate Aradhna Bhargav (Madhya Pradesh), Sushila Tai Morale (Maharashtra), Rohan Gupta (Jharkhand), Bale Bhai (Madhya Pradesh), Sangeeta, Anil and Bapu fom Maharashtra also participated in the Yatra.
This Yatra has been organized by Samajwadi Samagam which intends to restore the values of the socialist movement of India and to establish constitutional values. Samajwadi Samagam’s objective is also to unify the various movements that include people's movements, human rights movements, environmental movements and all democratic and secular movements associated with socialist, Gandhian, Sarvodaya, leftist and Ambedkarite ideals.
