MADURAI:S P Udayakumar, who spearheaded the struggle against the Koodankulam nuclear power project before joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the Lok Sabha polls, has now launched a new political movement -- ‘Pachai Thamizhagam’ (Green Tamil Nadu).
“Our political movement is not aimed at capturing political power. Instead, we will be working among the masses to address their concerns at grassroots level,” Udayakumar told Express.
Associating with the AAP during the 2014 Lok Sabha election did not yield any positive result as that party was looking at issues concerning Tamil Nadu from a national perspective, just like BJP and Congress, he said.
“They neither have an understanding on issues concerning Tamil fishermen or Lankan Tamils, nor make an attempt to study these. Hence we moved away from the AAP,” he said.
Udayakumar had announced snapping of ties with AAP in October last.
Though Dravidian parities ruled Tamil Nadu for many years, they failed to address aspirations of the people, he claimed.
“There is a political vacuum in our state. Tamils are aspiring for a political change and looking for new avenues. Our movement will be tapping this potential... Besides, we will organise a reading forum in every district to discuss social, political and cultural issues,” he observed.
Before announcing ‘Pachai Thamizhagam’, Udayakumar said, he along with team members interacted with people in Nagercoil, Villupuram, Kancheepuram, Chennai and Coimbatore for nearly nine months.
According to him, during the meetings, people expressed their concerns about big projects like KKNPP and India-based Nutrino Obervatory in southern districts, methane project in Cauvery delta and GAIL pipeline in the Kongu region. “We will officially announce the core members of the movement in March,” he said.
Political movement apart, he said he would continue his anti-nuclear struggle through the PMANE.