A Nuclear Flashpoint

Not everycar is welcome to the village of Haripur. So, as soon as you steer right fromJunput More near Digha Bengal's popular sea resort your vehicle is surrounded bya group of enquiring villagers who want to know your identity; their searchingeyes scan inside the car. If you try to ignore them and venture along the mudroad atop the sea dyke, conch shells start blowing from roadside houses, andhundreds of people come running from the villages to block yourway.Tension is mounting with every passing day at this coastal hamlet of East Midnapore some 160 kilometres from Kolkata and not too far from Nandigram. It was only around a week ago that they came to know that the central government has finally given the nod to set up a nuclear power plant at Haripur. Around 10,000 villagers two-thirds of them fishermen are now gearing up to prevent any move of the government to acquire land for the project, to be built on an area of 15 square kilometres. They have decided not to allow into the village anybody who comes with an intention of surveying the land before setting up the plant.In November 2006 even before bullets started flying inNandigram these villagers had forced a team from the department of atomic energy(DAE) to return without entering the village. Thousands had gathered behindbarricades put up on the sea dyke to stop officials from proceeding toHaripur.This time too, they have vowed to do the same. "It's ado-or-die battle," said Debashis Shyamal, convener of the Haripur ParamanuBidyut Prakalpa Protirodh Andolan (movement to resist nuclear power plant atHaripur). "The villagers know that they have no other option but to resist," headded.Shyamal's colleague Sujoy Jana said: "The project will affectat least 10,000 people, 80% of them dependent on fishing. At least five khotis'(fish unloading points) which yield a business of Rs 15 crore per annum, willhave to be removed. If the project finally happens, no less than 10 villageswill be affected. And apart from proximity to the sea, the land here is quitefertile. The main agricultural produce of the area include paan andtomato."On October 16, the Centre awarded the contract to build theHaripur power station to the Russian state-owned firm Atomstroyexport. TheNuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is planning to begin the civilconstruction work by 2010. "We will start work on the project as soon aspossible," said Sudhinder Thakur, executive director, corporate planning,NPCIL."But the project has just been announced by the government andwe are yet to work out the details. A lot of things will have to be done now.One of the most important things is to get in touch with the state governmentfor the land," Thakur told TOI from Mumbai."The villagers arecounting moments. We have news that an official team will come for a recce verysoon. But we are on alert and won't let them enter the village," said Shyamal."The fishing season has started and all these activities will hamper ourbusiness," he said.Will the villagers move away if they are paidenough compensation? Shyamal smiles. "Will the government be able to give us asea? Every person in this village is dependent on the sea. No monetarycompensation will be enough for them," he says.The state land andland reforms department is blissfully unaware of the developments. "Nuclearplant? What nuclear plant? I don't have any information regarding that," saidAbdur Rezzak Mollah, the minister in charge of the department.LocalTrinamool Congress, however, is in a fix. During the 2006 movement, Trinamoolleader Subhendu Adhikary led the anti-nuclear plant agitation in Haripur. Butthis time, the decision to set up the plant has been taken by a government ofwhich his party is the second largest constituent. Subhendu, however, put up abrave face. "Whatever be the decision of the government, I will be with thevillagers. We won't allow them to be evicted," he said.But hisfather, seasoned politician Sisir Adhikary (who is also the Union minister ofstate for rural development) rubbished all these "claims" made by the media."The Centre has not taken any such decision. It's a CPM conspiracy.Whatever you people are writing is planted by that party," hesaid.CPM's East Midnapore district unit leader and former MPPrashanta Pradhan was not surprised with the Trinamool stand. "Everybody knowsthat they are against industry be it in Singur or Nadigram or Salboni orNayachar or Haripur. Trinamool will always throw a spanner in the project. Ourparty, however, will always fight for industrialization, for industry," hesaid.But whatever the leaders say, the people of Haripur havealready decided to launch an agitation. The Haripur Paramanu Bidyut PrakalpaProtirodh Andolan is mobilising them. As a first step, they are sendingpostcards to the Prime Minister, with a message in protest against the move toset up the nuclear plant. The organisation is also seeking support from allsections of people across West Bengal, including NGOs, environmentalists andintellectuals.