AICU and CBCI Condemn Police brutality on Protestors at Koodankulam

September 12, 2012: The All India Christian Council [AICC] has expressed shock and distress at the police brutality on children, women and men, who were protesting the fuelling of the nuclear plant at Koodankulam, Tamil Nadu, which they fear will put not just them but future generations at grave risk.

The AICC condemned the police lathi charge, tear gassing on the people, pushing many of them into the rough sea, and killing at least one fisherman.
According to eye witnesses and video evidence, when the protest was still on at the seashore, the police in large numbers entered Idinthakarai village which had only the elderly people, and young. They searched every house, and reportedly also entered the Church and vandalised the statues. There is no water and electricity in the village and the children and elderly people are in a panic. Even the local media was not spared the police brutality.

The AICC has appealed to the Union and State governments, and the Madras High Court to intervene urgently and order the police to cease its anit-people operations. It urged the Madras High Court to issue suo motto orders to the Tamil Nadu Police to ensure uninterrupted access to basic amenities like electricity, food, milk and water for the villagers who are cut off from the rest of the world because of a stringent enforcement of prohibitory orders by the police.

The AICC also urged the State government to call the leaders of the agitation for talks instead of unleashing state force on the popular movement. It appleaded to the civil society in Tamil Nadu and the country to intervene urgently in the matter.

Meanwhile, The Office for Justice, Peace and Development of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (OJPD – CBCI) has also condemned the police firing, lathi charge and teargas assault on peaceful satyagrahis protesting against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant.

A statement from the Office said, “The protesters, as citizens of the sovereign, democratic and socialist republic of India have the right to protest policy decisions of the government and carry on peaceful movements when they feel that their voices have not been heard. This is a right enshrined in our Constitution and both the Central and State Governments of India are duty bound to defend this right by the oaths of their offices. Any violent action by the government against a peaceful agitation is violation of the basic principles of human rights honoured all over the civilized world.”

OJPD urged the citizens of India and all the people of goodwill all over the world to decry and protest this brutal attack on the protesters of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant who are fighting to safeguard the future of our planet from nuclear disaster.