Chinese President's visit to Delhi provokes Tibetan protests

New Delhi:  China's president, Hu Jintao, has arrived in Delhi for the fourth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit. Worried about protests, the police has been detaining Tibetan activists in the capital, provoking strong criticism.

Here are five new facts on the story:
1) A man who set himself on fire in Delhi on Monday at a rally died in hospital this morning. Jamphel Yeshi was 27.
2) Around 1200 cops have been posted around the hotels where The Chinese premier and the delegation will be staying. Earlier, the protesters had attempted to storm Hotel Oberoi in Delhi where Chinese premiere Hu Jintao is staying. Police have arrested the protesters. This morning, the police detained 100 activists who were protesting against Hu's visit at the United Nations office. Over 150 Tibetans have been taken in to preventive custody during the protests today. The Tibetan Youth Congress members were submitting a memorandum to embassies of all nations participating in the BRICS summit. Protests were also held at Khan Market and Jantar Mantar. There is heavy police presence in these areas.
3) The police removed activist-poet Tenzin Tsundue from a seminar yesterday at the India habitat Centre. The police is keeping a tight vigil in areas in Delhi with high Tibetan population to ensure that young Tibetans don't come out of their homes to protest.
4) China has accused the Dalai Lama of "masterminding" self-immolation bids earlier this week. At least 29 Tibetans, many of them Buddhist monks and nuns, have set themselves on fire in Tibet demanding freedom for their homeland.
5) The Chinese President will attend the BRICS summit which looks at encouraging trade among member-nations. He will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Manmohan. The Chinese president is accompanied by a high-profile delegation comprising Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, State Councillor Dai Bingguo, senior ministers and business leaders.

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Kudankulam protests against nuclear plant: 10 big facts

Chennai:  The 13,000-crore nuclear plant at Kudankulam in coastal Tamil Nadu is now filled with engineers, scientists and other workers. They report to work everyday even as thousands of villagers protest against the nuclear project, which, when completed, will be India's largest nuclear power-generating complex. Here are 10 big developments in this story:

After the Tamil Nadu government gave its go-ahead to the Indo-Russian nuclear project on March 19, after which work at the plant is on in full swing,
1. The Madras High Court today has refused to order the government to lift its ban on public gatherings in and around Radapuram Taluk, where the Kudankulam plant is located. Section 144, which prevents large groups from meeting in an area, was imposed last week by the District Collector.
2. The region has been tense since March 19, when the Tamil Nadu government said operations at the nuclear plant could begin. Activists and thousands of villagers have been holding large camps in protest at Idinthakarai adjoining Kudankulam.
3. They say they are not convinced that the plant is safe. They are also worried about ecological damage by radioactivity which would affect the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.
4. The leader of the protests is Dr SP Udhayakumar, who heads the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE). He said today that there is no question of ending the protest but added that "we are ready for talks. If we are considered people of this country, and if our ahimsa protest is respected, the government should talk to us." He has been on an indefinite fast since March 12 along with 14 supporters.
5. He says that the government has failed to provide any sort of disaster training to the villagers staying in and around the plant site. "People within 30km radius of the Kudankulam plant have not been given any disaster training...Without doing this, they cannot load the nuclear fuel...the Central Government and the State Government would be held liable for this criminal activity if they decide to load the fuel rods without preparing the people," Mr Udhayakumar had said. The government says that's not the case.
6. Work at the plant was suspended in September last year when the Tamil Nadu cabinet asked the Prime Minister to halt all operations till residents in the area were reassured that they were safe.
7. The Prime Minister sent a senior minister, V Narayanasamy, to meet with villagers; atomic and technical experts also audited the plant and reported it safe.
8. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa last week cleared the project, a day after a crucial election in the area.
9. The plant, being built with the help of the Russians, will see two reactors being commissioned within months of each other. When it's completed, six reactors will generate unprecedented power supply for the state.
10. There is heavy security, including Rapid Action Force personnel, guarding the plant.

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Women lead protests at Kudankulam nuclear power plant site

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Kudankulam protests: I am not afraid of arrest, says Udhayakumar

Kudankulam:  After a brief clampdown, the police have now allowed media persons to visit Idithakarai where the Kudankulam nuclear power plant is located. However, no live coverage is allowed from the site as according to the police, it can aggravate the situation.

The security too has been tightened around the plant.

But the big question is: Will the Tamil Nadu government arrest Dr SP Udhaykumar, the face of the anti-nuclear plant protests? There is uncertainty among villagers who are protesting at the site of the plant.

Yesterday, they refused to hold talks with two local police officers who had come in their personal capacities to end the deadlock. The villagers asked the police to send non-natives for talks about ending the protests.

Dr Udhayakumar is on an indefinite hunger strike at village of at Idinthakarai, which has for seven months been the epicentre of the villagers and fishermen who say the Kudankulam plant is not safe.

A campaigner against nuclear energy for years, the recent Fukushima tragedy struck the right chord with the masses and catapulted him to be the face of the anti-nuclear campaign at Kudankulam.And with Jayalalithaa's U-turn, the state has now turned on the heat on Udhayakumar who is facing charges of sedition, and waging war against the country. "I have not stolen anyone's property, or money. I'm not afraid of arrest. Am I a criminal or a terrorist?" he said. (Watch: Who is S P Udhayakumar?)

Scientists and engineers have entered the plant, escorted by the police, to get to work. The Tamil Nadu government cleared the project on Monday, after initially trying to block it.

The 5000 villagers who are protesting against the setting up of the nuclear power plant are facing tough times.  There is no power supply since Tuesday morning at Idinthakarai, the ground zero for the anti-nuclear protests. Villagers have blamed police for the power cut; they also complain there is shortage of drinking water, food and milk.

Prohibitory orders have been clamped and there is tight security near the plant.

Those who live near the project remain worried about their safety and refer often to last year's disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. "People within 30 km radius of the Kudankulam plant have not been given any disaster training," Mr Udhayakumar said yesterday. "Without doing this, they cannot load the nuclear fuel... the Central Government and the State Government would be held liable for this criminal activity if they decide to load the fuel rods without preparing the people," he added.

In September, the state Cabinet had passed a resolution demanding that the Prime Minister order a halt of operations at Kudankulam till those living in the area were convinced that they are not at risk. Dr Manmohan Singh then deputed experts and ministers to assess the plant and answer the questions of villagers. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had also commissioned her own panel of experts to study the plant. Her clearance for the project came right after an important by-election in the Tirunelveli district, where the plant is located. In an attempt to pacify the area, she announced a Rs 500 crore package to improve roads and infrastructure in the area.

Dr Srikumar Banerjee, the Chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission said yesterday, "The nuclear community has learnt a lesson from this agitation... and that (we) need a much better connect with local people." He said that activists and villagers should be rest assured that the safety standards for the nuclear plant meet international standards. "A clear cut disaster management exists for the plant," he said.

The nuclear power project, worth Rs. 13,000 crores and being set up with assistance from Russia, will upon completion have six reactors, making this will India's largest power-generating complex. A pair of two 1,000 megawatt reactors will kickstart production.  

The protesters, mostly fishermen from three districts, are worried that the seaside plant may damage the ecosystem with nuclear waste and ruin their livelihoods.

The Prime Minister's recent remarks that protests against Kudankulam were possibly receiving foreign funding provoked much anger among NGOs.

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Protests in Park Circus in Kolkata blocks traffic for six hours

Kolkata:  Protests in the Park Circus area of central Kolkata threw traffic out of gear for over six hours on Tuesday.

The protests was triggered by a photograph that was published in a local newspaper that was allegedly tweeted by model Poonam Pandey. The newspaper has offered an apology since.

Senior police officers had earlier rushed to the spot to persuade the agitators to lift the blockade which stalled traffic movement from Park Circus crossing to Bridge number four since 3.45 pm.

Traffic disruptions were also reported from the nearby Mullickbazar area.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday appealed to all for maintaining communal amity and refraining from indulging in rumours and said that the state government would take all steps to rein in the situation.

In the appeal, the chief minister said that some persons were trying to foment communal tension centering around a published photograph in a newspaper and urged all not to get provoked.

"Higher secondary examination is progressing. I am requesting all to see that the examinees are not disturbed," she said.

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Tibetans hold protests in Delhi against India-China border talks

Delhi:  About a dozen Tibetans, including women, today staged a protest outside the Hyderabad House objecting to the border talks between India and China claiming that Beijing cannot discuss the issue before giving freedom to Tibet.

Draped in Tibetan flags and carrying anti-China placards, the protesters assembled in front of the Hyderabad House near India Gate in the morning where External Affairs Minister S M Krishna was holding bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.

Anticipating protests, a number of police personnel were deployed in the area and they immediately detained the demonstrators who were shouting slogans demanding freedom for Tibet.

"We have detained the protesters, including women. We have taken them to a nearby police station," a senior police official said.

One of the protesters said China cannot discuss the issue before giving freedom to Tibet. "It is ridiculous for China to have talks with India before giving us freedom," he said.

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