Idinthakarai Update

May 24, 2012
PMANE Does a Postcard Campaign Against False Cases
The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) is carrying out a postcard campaign against the false cases that the Koodankulam police keep filing against our leaders and the people. These post cards will be mailed to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court and the Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court.
Three particular police officers are behind this false case spree. These public officials use the caste and religion cards deliberately and maliciously to drive a wedge between the two major communities of our area and to incite discord and violence among the people. In fact, the Tamil Nadu government is said to have posted these officers in their present positions with this very purpose.
Mr. Stanley Jones, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at Valliyur, and Mr. P. Rajapaul, the Inspector of Police at the Koodankulam police station (both Christian Nadars) are dead set on their mission. Many Koodankulam residents have reported that these two men often invoke the Nadar card when they talk to them and to spread hatred against other communities in the area.
Mr. M. Xavier Francis Beschi, a DSP rank officer belonging to Idinthakarai, has been on a special duty to divide the Idinthakarai village, create chaos and confusion among the residents, instigate violence in the community and undermine the anti-Koodankulam struggle. Understandably, he enjoys the support and blessings of many police officers in the area such as Mr. Stanley Jones and Mr. Rajapaul, acts as the handmaiden of higher officials, and meddles with the normal and peaceful life of our people.
These three officers harbor so much anger and hatred towards the PMANE leaders and our people because of their caste and religious prejudices. They are also overzealous in their respective tasks as they may receive possible promotions and other pecuniary benefits such as increments in their department. So they grab on every opportunity to file false cases against us. For instance, these three officers made the husband of the Vijayapathi panchayat president and his brother, habitual offenders, on April 14, 2012 and filed an attempt to murder case on many of us. On May 11, 2012, Mr. Stanley Jones and Mr. Rajapaul beat up Mr. Rajalingam, a Struggle Committee member and school correspondent, at the East Bazaar of Koodankulam.
On May 19, 2012, an inebriated man from Idinthakarai, Joseph Lawrence, broke the windshield of a public bus at around 4:30 PM near the Casa Nagar of Idinthakarai. And our people caught hold of him and handed him over to the bus conductor and driver to be taken to the Koodankulam police station. This incident was correctly reported in Dinamani and Daily Thanthi newspapers. But the Koodankulam police let him go scot free and framed a false case saying that a mob vandalized the bus instigated by the PMANE Coordinator, S. P. Udayakumar. The PAMNE takes a special pride in leading this nonviolent struggle against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant. We are known around the world as the struggle that has resuscitated nonviolence in popular movements. In fact, Shiv Viswanathan, a distinguished sociologist from India, has said recently: “Kudankulam is the Dandi march against nuclear energy. We cannot hypothecate our future to the illiteracy and indifference of the ATOM STAAT.”
In order to expose these three men and their malicious campaign against our people’s struggle, we are undertaking the current postcard campaign. Since we do not think that we will get justice from the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu, we send all the cards to the Chief Justice of Madras High Court, and the Chief Justice of India of the Supreme Court.
On May 17, 2012, the third anniversary day of the genocide at Mullivaikal in Tamil Eelam, the PMANE organized a day-long conference of youth on “The Futures of the Tamils.” Dr. Sandeep Pandey, a Magsaysay Awardee from Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Ponneelan, Tamil writer and Sahitya Academy awardee, S. P. Udayakumar, M. P. Jesuraj and M. Pushparayan spoke at the conference.
On May 18, 2012, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) team came to visit us at Idinthakarai under the leadership of Comrade P. Mahalingam (aka V.P. Nagai Maali), an MLA from Kilvelur constituency in Tamil Nadu. That evening the CPI(M) organized an agitation at Tirunelveli in support of us and some 50 of them including 6 women were arrested by police.
On May 26, 2012, an all party agitation is being staged at 4 PM at the Palai Market Grounds in Tirunelveli in support of the Koodankulam struggle. Mr. R. Nallakannu of CPI, Mr. Thol Thirumavalavan of VCK, Mr. Nanjil Sampath of MDMK, Prof. Jawahirullah of MMK, Mr. Seeman of NTK, Mr. R. Adiyaman of ATP and other will participate in that event.
On May 30, 2012, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) is organizing an agitation at Tirunelveli to support our struggle also.
Since our fishermen have gone back to work, people from Koottapuli, Perumanal and Kuthenkuzhy are organizing a relay fast in their respective villages not to let go of the struggle and to keep up the momentum. The Idinthakarai relay fast has been going on for the past 283 days.
The Struggle Committee
People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)