His booklet ignited minds

A protestant pastor-turned social activist, Y David is among those who founded the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, which is now spearheading the agitation in Idinthakarai. As one involved in the movement, along with the other groups of individual activists since 1987, he has a clear answer to the question: why this sudden burst of protests after the government has drowned `13,000 crore in the project?“We have been protesting against Koodankulam project for the past 25 years. We never agreed to have the plant there. It was the government and the Department of Atomic Energy officials who ignored us and went ahead with the plant. Even the political parties did not bother. The blame should be on the authorities.”Though he is no longer taking active part in the agitation, he does visit Idinthakarai once in a while and remains a staunch supporter of the movement.He remembers how he got involved in the anti-Koodankulam movement. In August 1986, he, on behalf of his organisation Samathuva Samudhaya Iyakkam, was taking out a march from Kanyakumari to Chennai. When the marchers reached Koodankulam, there was resentment among the people over the question of land acquisition. So he became aware of the issue. Then, he joined the other groups that were campaigning against nuclear energy and involved himself in the movement. In 1988, he wrote a booklet Koodankulam Anumin Nilayalam — Vendave Vendam. In the booklet, he debunked all theories floated by the pro-nuclear lobby and even said that electricity was not that important for sustainable development. Keeping development as a focal point to embark on dangerous ways to generate electricity cannot be accepted.In the booklet, he had warned the people not to expect job opportunities from the plant. Well, the people of Koodankulam realised it perhaps a bit late.