Koodankulam: Admiral Ramdas’ Letters to the Prime Minister

Koodankulam: Admiral Ramdas’ Letters to the Prime Minister by admin_dianuke

Admiral L Ramdas (retd) ‘LARA’-Ramu Farm
PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM Vill: Bhaimala
Former Chief of the Naval Staff Alibag 402201
Magsaysay Awardee for Peace Maharashtra
Tel 02141-248711
Fax 02141- 248733
Mob 09860170960
lramdas@gmail.com
20 Mar 2012

My dear Prime Minister,

REPRESSIVE MEASURES AGAINST PEACEFUL AND NON VIOLENT
PROTESTORS AT KUDAMKULAM – TAMIL NADU

I write this with a deep sense of sadness and grief. Many of us from all over the country were in Kudamkulam just the other day namely on 15 and 16 March, and the entire gathering of common people-primarily women – was as always a very inspiring experience. This was Mrs Lalita Ramdas and my third visit to the area. This visit was primariy intended to show solidarity and support for our brothers and sisters struggling against the KKNPP’s likely commissioning.

The Prime Minister may recall my last letter dated 15 March 2011, sent to you on the entire issue of nuclear power plants soon after Fukishima nuclear melt down last year. I am enclosing a copy of my letter dated 15 March 2011, for your ready reference. The sad thing is, we do not seem to have learnt the right lessons from the same! No one can be an astrologer and forecast that there will be no danger or accident in a nuclear power plant. Very often this can and does happen in all sorts of Hi Tech equipment. Accidents may be due to human or material failure or the vagaries of nature. Unfortunately we have ceased to respect people’s voices of concern and genuine fear. In any other form of technology the down stream effects of an accident are miniscule, when compared to a nuclear disaster. The residual effects of radiation are simply too long lasting and deadly to imagine. Chernobyl also built by our friends the Russians, is a constant reminder of such an idle boast. It is now over a quarter century since the accident and people are still suffering due to the effects of radiation. Neither the USA after the Three mile island, nor Russia after the Chernobyl event have added any nuclear power plants to their inventory. With my own experience and familiarity with nuclear power in submarines, I feel really sad, that we are not telling the whole truth to our people