-The Hindu Petition says plant should be governed by principle of ‘absolute liability, polluter pays’ A fresh writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court, contending that the Kudankulam nuclear power plant could not be commissioned without resolving the issue of Russia’s liability in case of an accident. The public interest litigation petition sought a declaration that the plant, in Tirunelveli district, would be governed by the law of the land, as...

-PTI Kudankulam (TN): A local court today issued a Non Bailable Warrant (NBW) against anti-nuclear activist, SP Udayakumar spearheading the movement against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. The NBW was issued by the Valliyoor court against Udayakumar while hearing a case registered by the Revenue and Police of Tirunelveli “for misusing a place of worship to instigate people and agitate against the Government on September 10.” The Police and revenue officials had filed a...

-The Indian Express Ignoring the CPIM's official line, party veteran VS Achuthanandan today set out to Kundankulam to pledge solidarity with anti-nuclear protesters but was stopped by Tamil Nadu Police at the border town of Kaliyikkavila near here. As Achuthanandan's car entered the border town, an officer of Tamil Nadu police stopped the vehicle and requested the 88-year-old leader not to proceed further in view of the security concerns. Complying with the request,...

-The Hindustan Times The fragile peace at Kudankulam lasted through Sunday, but elsewhere in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala, it was a day of protests and arrests. In Tuticorin, around 250 protesters on way to Kudankulam were arrested. They included Periyar Dravida Kazhagam leader Kolathur Mani and leaders of Naan Thamilar Iyakkam and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. In Kerala's Parassala, police stopped a "solidarity march" by cultural leaders to Kudankulam. For Tamil...

-The Hindu In an atmosphere of mistrust of the government, only an independent safety regulatory mechanism can counter the scaremongering against civilian nuclear power I work at an institution funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (which, however, does no nuclear research: the DAE funds a wide variety of institutions and areas in science). About a year ago, I had an e-mail from a journalist who wondered why scientists (including colleagues at...