Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement that the protests at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant have been motivated and encouraged by United States-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has given credence to a long-held view that foreign vested interests are orchestrating protests by fanning among the people a sense of hysteria and thus stalling the nation’s growth. Earlier also speculations were raised about the way massive protests have been undertaken to stall the commissioning of the 9,200 MW Indo-Russian nuclear energy venture.
While the anti-nuclear protesters have rubbished the prime minister’s statement, made to American journal Science, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the principal opposition party at the Centre, has rightly asked the government to disclose the details based on which the statement was made. The natural step for the Congress-led government would be to place the facts before the nation for the people to see and decide. If found to be true, strict action should be taken against the NGOs for trying to act against our national interests. This also stresses the need for more accountability into the running and funding of NGOs — especially those with international connections — across the country.
Indian economy is passing through a turbulent time and for the economy to grow, the present level of power generation is not sufficient. Power plants, like the one at Koodankulam, are essential for meeting this challenge. Any force, within or outside the country, conniving to hamper the realisation of this should be treated as working against national interest. However, this being said, it is the government’s responsibility to address the genuine fears of the people living around the plant about their safety, especially after what was witnessed at Fukushima in March 2011. The government is duty-bound to meet the growing demand for power in the country and at the same time win the confidence of the people. The question is: will the UPA be able to rise up to the occasion?
(This appeared as an editorial in The New Indian Express on Saturday February 25)
While the anti-nuclear protesters have rubbished the prime minister’s statement, made to American journal Science, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the principal opposition party at the Centre, has rightly asked the government to disclose the details based on which the statement was made. The natural step for the Congress-led government would be to place the facts before the nation for the people to see and decide. If found to be true, strict action should be taken against the NGOs for trying to act against our national interests. This also stresses the need for more accountability into the running and funding of NGOs — especially those with international connections — across the country.
Indian economy is passing through a turbulent time and for the economy to grow, the present level of power generation is not sufficient. Power plants, like the one at Koodankulam, are essential for meeting this challenge. Any force, within or outside the country, conniving to hamper the realisation of this should be treated as working against national interest. However, this being said, it is the government’s responsibility to address the genuine fears of the people living around the plant about their safety, especially after what was witnessed at Fukushima in March 2011. The government is duty-bound to meet the growing demand for power in the country and at the same time win the confidence of the people. The question is: will the UPA be able to rise up to the occasion?
(This appeared as an editorial in The New Indian Express on Saturday February 25)
Anti-Congress/government views will not help the country at this point of time, especially when the government is showing progress on many fronts.
ReplyDeleteபாராளுமன்றத்தின் கண்களில் மண்ணைத் தூவி, ஆட்சியைத் தாங்கிப் பிடித்த கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கூட்டாளிகளுக்கு துரோகம் செய்து, எம்.பி.க்களை பணம் கொடுத்து விலைக்கு வாங்கி, அமெரிக்காவோடு கள்ளத்தனமாக அணு ஒப்பந்தம் போட்ட மன்மோகன் அசிங்(கம்) சொல்கிறது அமெரிக்க பின்னணி கொண்ட தன்னார்வ தொண்டு நிறுவனங்கள்தான் கூடங்குள எதிர்ப்புப் போராட்டத்துக்கு காரணம் என்று. அமெரிக்காவின் ஏவலாள் பிரதமராக இருக்கும் நாட்டில் ஒன்றை சாதிப்பதற்கு அமெரிக்கா ஏன் பெயர் தெரியாத தன்னார்வத் தொண்டு நிறுவனங்களை தேர்வு செய்யவேண்டும்? அமெரிக்கா அணு உலை வேண்டாமென்று சொல்லிவிட்டால், "ஆகட்டுங்கய்யா நாளைக்கே அணு உலையை மூடிடுவோம்" என்று சலாம் போட்டு இவரே மூடிவிடுவாரே.
ReplyDeleteஎதிர்ப்புக்கள் அமெரிக்க பங்கு குறைந்தது அரசாங்கத்தில் சில ஆதாரங்களின் படி, மிகவும் தெளிவாக உள்ளது. உலை ரஷியன் உதவியுடன் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது ஏனெனில், சந்தேகம் எடை பெறுகின்றான்.
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