S P Udayakumar, who is fasting along with his associate M Pushparaya, gives us a first-person account from Idinthakarai, Ground Zero of the protests against the nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.
An uneasy calm prevailed in Kudankulam on Tuesday with police tightening vigil as anti-nuclear protesters continued with their relay fast at Idinthakari, epicentre of protests against the Kudankulam Nuclear plant, condemning the action against anti-KNPP activists.
Notwithstanding the NSG waiver for New Delhi, Japan on Wednesday appeared non-committal on civil nuclear cooperation with India even as the two countries agreed that atomic power could play an important role as a sustainable and non-polluting source of energy in meeting the growing global demands.
The Indian position on the Russia-Ukraine war and the unconditional treaty between China and Russia appear to have caused some ripples in India-US relations and led to a reappraisal of India's usefulness to the US in the eventuality of a conflict with China, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Pitching for enactment of a law to fix civil damages caused by nuclear accidents, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee said neither the Indian Environmental Protection Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, nor the Indian Atomic Energy Act had provisions for damages caused due to war or radioactivity.
Amid public resistance to nuclear power projects at Jaitapur and Koodankulam, the Department of Atomic Energy has said the work on both plants will be completed but their could be delay.
Sheikh Hasina, who was elected for a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term this year, was always admired by her supporters as "Iron Lady", before the dramatic development that abruptly ended her 15-year-rule in Bangladesh.
The Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and the go-ahead for atomic commerce obtained by India from the NSG will help address world's shared interests in energy security and climate change, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.
The two PMs may also explore ways to further deepen ties between the navies of the two countries to check China's heightened activities in the Indian Ocean.
Hundreds of anti-nuclear activists and leaders of different political outfits were detained in Chennai on Monday when they attempted to lay siege to the Tamil Nadu assembly demanding scrapping of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. S Saraswathi reports.
Ron Somers, founder and CEO of India First Group and the former President of leading business advocacy group US-India Business Council said that when Lok Sabha election results are declared on June 4, "I believe that Narendra Modi will win Parliament by the largest majority ever recorded in the country's history.
India signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the UK,on Thursday, making it the eighth country to enter into such pact with New Delhi since the lifting of atomic trade embargo in 2008.
Prohibitory orders have been clamped in a seven-km radius around the controversial Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant as anti-nuclear activists have threatened to picket it on Monday.
A tense situation prevailed as over 1,000 anti nuclear protesters made a vain bid to lay a siege to the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, protesting against the proposed loading of fuel.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, during a bilateral meeting with Singh on Sunday, had requested that his country be allocated a site in India to build nuclear reactors.
Parliament must insist that the government should direct its Department of Atomic Energy to immediately examine and make recommendations to the government on the structure of an independent surveillance and regulatory authority for the defence nuclear facilities, says Dr A Gopalakrishnan.
The partial withdrawal would mean that Iran would stop exporting enriched uranium stocks as stipulated by the 2015 agreement.
'China is struggling to get out of its property bubble.' 'Japan took 35 years to walk out of its equity bubble.' 'Bubbles can be difficult to forecast.'
Speaking at a programme in Kolkata on Tuesday night, he said that in the past, even the US has been appreciative of the fact that the Chabahar port has a larger relevance.
Acting tough against anti-nuclear activists demanding closure of Kudankulam nuclear power plant, five key functionaries of a body spearheading the movement against KNPP were arrested at the plant site on Monday.
Women and men would stand in the sea waters for two hours in turns, Pushparayan, leader of the Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy, spearheading the year-long agitation, told media persons in Kudankulam.
Taking a cue from 'Jal Satyagraha' activists in Madhya Pradesh, opponents of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant today threatened to stand in the sea off Idianthakarai coast from Thursday as a stepped-up form of agitation.
In a volte-face, Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy leader S P Udayakumar on Wednesday decided not to surrender, a day after he made a dramatic appearance and announced he would turn up before the police. Amid continuing protests against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, Udayakumar's change of plans was announced by anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal, who has extended his support for the anti-nuclear stir.
Anti-nuclear movement leader S P Udayakumar on Tuesday gave up his plan to surrender to the police after making a dramatic appearance to do so and was whisked away by his supporters.
The manner in which India and Pakistan have pursued atomic weapons has 'upset the balance of nuclear deterrence', United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday, asserting that the US is working hard with both countries to try to limit their number of nuclear stockpiles.
With their landmark 2005 civil nuclear deal still in limbo, India and the United States have established an inter-agency contact group to sort out outstanding liability and technical issues to fast-track its full implementation.
Pakistan's Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Farukh Amil stressed full compliance by all States with their respective safeguards obligations.
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday criticised the Shiv Sena for politicising the Jaitapur nuclear plant issue.Speaking as the opposition in the Maharashtra state assembly sought a debate on the protests in Jaitapur and moved an adjournment motion, Ramesh said nuclear energy is the only clean energy option and the Shiv Sena had no business politicising the issue.The comment came as the situation in Jaitapur took a turn for the worse.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India not signing NPT does not mean it is part of the nuclear arms race.
The Centre's announcement of setting up of an expert group to allay fears over Koodankulam nuclear plant has not been received favourably by anti-nuclear activists who have resumed their protests against the project.
US President George W Bush has defended the civilian nuclear energy arrangement with India, saying it is a "good policy" for America
China is ready to "explore cooperation with all countries for the peaceful use of nuclear energy in accordance with the rules of the IAEA," said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
Three persons from Australia were on Thursday prevented from entering Idinthakarai, the epicentre of protests by People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy leading the stir against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tirunelveli district, the police said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday held talks at Hyderabad House
Pakistan Friday said it plans to generate 8,800 MW of nuclear power by 2030 and maintained that its nuclear programme was for peaceful purposes.
Stepping up their protest against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, spearheading the stir, would lay siege to the sea at about 500 meters away from the KNPP on Monday.
Iran has the right to enjoy the peaceful use of nuclear technology and it will never divert to military purposes, a senior official said.
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