The protests against the building of the Jaitapur nuclear plant, intended to be the biggest of its kind in the world, have sharpened and spread since the disaster in Japan. The fears are real and need to be looked at, as the Union environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, has acknowledged. It is a difficult enough situation. Alternative sources of power are expensive, and it may be — even though this too is questioned — that nuclear power would be the cheapest among these. But neither can it be doubted that a slip can be devastating and that the very best arrangements cannot always prevent slips.
In such a situation, extreme actions are really not helpful. Peaceful protest cannot be dealt with heavy-handedly. Even if a protest turns violent, as the one before a local police station is alleged to have become on Monday, April 18, firing on protestors is hardly a solution. Not only did one person die, but the violence also spread, even to the hospital where his body was taken. This is an ugly mark for the government of Maharashtra, and it looks as though the state is trying to push through a project in the name of development for its own reasons by crushing its people's objections. The situation is further muddied by the fact that the Shiv Sena led the protest against the plant closer to the site on that day. Read the full report here.
Source: The Telegraph, Kolkata.
