People's Democracy

On Comrade V S Achuthanandan’s Stand on Kudankulam Nuclear Plant

While meeting at New Delhi, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) adopted the following resolution on October 14, 2012.

THE Central Committee reiterates the approach of the party on the use of nuclear power for civilian purposes. The Political Resolution adopted by the 20th congress of the party has opposed the setting up of nuclear parks with imported nuclear reactors which are a consequence of the Indo-US nuclear deal. These are not viable on technical and economic grounds and also from the point of view of safety.

In the case of the Kudankulam reactors, the resolution has made an exception as the agreement for these reactors were signed two decades before the Indo-US nuclear deal, at a time when the US and other western countries had imposed sanctions on India. Since then, two reactors from Russia have already been constructed at considerable cost and they are at the final stage before commissioning. However, the resolution has stressed that given the local people’s apprehensions about their safety and livelihood after the Fukushima accident in Japan, these concerns should be met. There should be an independent safety audit and necessary safety measures must be put in place before the reactors are commissioned.

Such an independent safety review has not been conducted. In the meantime, the people protesting at Kudankulam have been subjected to police repression and a large number of cases have been foisted against them. The party has condemned the repression and demanded that the cases of sedition and other charges be withdrawn.

V S Achuthanandan has taken a position contrary to this stand. He has also criticised the party’s position on Kudankulam as explained by the general secretary. The Central Committee rejects his views. It censures him for his refusal to abide by the stand which was worked out at the party congress. The Central Committee directs V S Achuthanandan to adopt the stand taken by the party.