Police charge bishop for aiding protest against nuclear power plant in India

(Nov. 16, 2011) Police have charged a bishop and four parish priests with aiding and supporting a protest against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant in southern India’s Tamil Nadu State. Bishop Yvon Ambroise of Tuticorin diocese said on Tuesday that he and the priests, along with some social activists, have also been charged with illegal assembly and preventing government officials from carrying out official work at the construction site in Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district. The plant is scheduled to commence operation next month. “We are aware of the charge sheets and will face the charges legally,” Bishop Ambroise said on Tuesday. He said that the case is a tactic to create fear among protestors. “We are undeterred by the charges filed by the local police and the struggle will go on,” he added.
For the last two months, protestors, mainly Catholic fishermen, have been agitating against the newly built $3 billion nuclear power plant, built with Russian technology in Koodankulam. Since the protest began on September 11, more than 8,000 people have been charged by police for protesting against the nuclear plant. Bishop Ambroise said, “We were objecting to the plant from the beginning, but after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, people have also understood the problems with nuclear energy and are protesting against the plant.” He clarified that the anti-nuclear agitation was a people’s movement and not a church-led movement.