The Kudankulam farce: Party-poopers vs party line

This is the synopsis of a script that possibly killed its climax. The setting The central government spends Rs 13,500 crore on a nuclear plant, but when it is about to be commissioned there are the party-poopers. “We don’t want another Fukushima, we are scared, it’s unsafe, make this into something else,” they scream. Some ask: “Where were you all these 20 years?” “We have always been here,” they say. The state government shows concern for their fear, writes to the head of India Inc, and asks him to address their fears. The party-poopers are happy. After all, the-all-powerful state government is with them; it is a question of their sovereignty; they cannot lose. [caption id=“attachment_210176” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] Many agents of India Inc, including a state minister, a former President with fancy hairstyle and an expert committee try to speak to them. The party-poopers say they know better than the experts and they want answers on what they already know. The committee says they have provided the answers, but the poopers say they aren’t happy. Atomic energy is not rocket science. It is about peace, imperialism and the village republic. No more Fukushima! The minister accuses them of vested interests and receiving foreign funds. His partymen, clad in khadi-white, launch agitations against the party-poopers. The saffron brigade sees invisible hands. The nuclear establishment launches PR-exercises. But every one wants power, some don’t care about the source, some do. The twist in the tale The state falls into a power crisis. Day-long, unpredictable power cuts cripple the industrial hubs of the state. Chennai also gets day-long power shutdowns for “maintenance.” Small and medium industries and farmers are in trouble; their angst swells into massive protests on the streets.They have a simple demand, “give us power, that is our lifeline”. In the southern part of the state, the party-poopers continue their siege to the power plant that’s ready for commissioning, while in the western region, people are out of livelihoods without power. The chief minister lists the government’s plan to make the state power sufficient. The principal opposition party slams the government’s inefficiency for the power shortage. The 1,000 mw power from the nuclear plant, of which at least 750 mw is promised for the state,  finds no mention. This 750 mw is a lot of power for a state that is on ventilator. More will follow. Some planned projects are badly delayed. Will the state government go for it? It’s tempting. Intermission (As in other Indian films, the second half will be shorter) Pre-climax The power-starved state government says it is committed to addressing the fears of the people and would hence form its own panel. The panel will study the issue and file its report, based on which it will take a decision. The central committee has met the agitators a few times and has already submitted its report, says the government. The state government announces the panel. The cat is out of the bag! The party-poopers are shocked! The chairman of the panel is Dr MR Srinivasan, a former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. “How could you do this?” the party-poopers ask, crestfallen. “Srinivasan is pro-nuclear and was part of the committee that selected the site for the plant in Kudankulam,” they say. They want the panel to be expanded with people who know things that they think are more important: “hydrology, geology and oceanography.” The state government (reportedly) replaces some police officers in the plant area with local officers. The party-poopers are in trouble, the stage is set for the climax. The Climax The pre-climax gave away too much. It is so predictable now. Let’s wait for the details.