Supporting the official stand of the CPM in the Koodankulam nuclear power plant issue, the DYFI said that it was not opposed to nuclear plants as such though it was necessary to ensure that the safety concerns of the people should be addressed and their apprehensions removed.
Addressing newsmen here, DYFI national president M B Rajesh said that the authorities should take serious note of the safety concerns expressed by the people. ‘’The concerns raised by the people are justifiable,’’ he said.
Rajesh said that the DYFI also strongly condemned the repressive measures against the agitators. ‘’The repressive measures taken by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu Government are undemocratic,’’ he said.
On the lines of the CPM, Rajesh said that the DYFI was opposed to the import of nuclear reactors. In Jaitapur, the DYFI is on a protest against the nuclear plant. However, the issue of Koodankulam plant was much different, Rajesh claimed.
‘’ The Jaitapur nuclear reactor is very expensive and the electricity will be costly. The two reactors in Koodankulam were purchased as per the Gorbachev- Rajiv Gandhi pact. Moreover, the reactors have been completed at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore. So it will not be practical to shut down these reactors,’’ he said.
Rajesh said that serious concerns regarding safety issues were not raised when the construction of the plant started.
However, an independent safety review of the plant should have to be undertaken by the Department of Atomic Energy. The department has not yet clarified if safety measures recommended by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board are in place, he said, adding that the Safety Analysis Report should be made public.
Though the DYFI had not opposed the two plants at Koodankulam, it was against four new units to be built at Koodankulam.
With regard to Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan’s support to the protestors of Koodankulam, he said that VS was a top leader and he had nothing to comment. When asked if he would visit Koodankulam, Rajesh said: ‘’There are no such plans now. If the DYFI Tamil Nadu unit demands, then I will visit.’’
On the demand for a CBI probe into the TP murder case, Rajesh said that the DYFI was against a CBI probe. Alleging that the CBI was the most biased investigating agency in the country, he said ‘’The CBI had always stood with the ruling party with respect to political cases. Here also, there is a pre-planned agenda and things are going in that direction,’’ he said.
Regarding DYFI organisational matters, he said that the ninth all-India conference had made certain key amendments in the organisation’s constitution.
The organisation has decided to join like-minded youth organisations so that its reach could be extended to more sections among the younger generation as well as among tribal communities, minorities and professionals.
The DYFI in the coming years will focus its struggles on unemployment issue, fight against communal forces, corruption and moral policing, he added.