“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country”
~ John F. Kennedy.
We have heard these words so many times and I have never doubted the belief that the country is above self. Even though I have never been able to relate to the National pride people associate with sports and similar stuff but for me it is nothing but National Pride for what the armed personnel are surviving for in Siachen the world’s highest battlefield while I type these words in a comfortable room. There are no words to describe the courage and the valor of these guys and I will not even attempt that. For them I will just say “respect”.
At the same time I must say I am paranoid about my dwindling trust for the political agendas, propaganda and the nexus between them and media. I strongly agree with Noam Chomsky’s description that the public opinions are to be fabricated (in literal sense – manufactured) even in so called democracies of the world. We have seen this happening numerous times in the recent past - Germany before the Second World War, all of the world’s dictators and even in democracies like United States of America ( WMD in Iraq , War on terror and what not). Keeping in view the two opposing sides of the thoughts associated with the “National Pride” sometimes I am really confused and can’t see the line between genuineness and the propaganda.
A recent development in Japan and the proposed nuclear power plant in India have made me even more confused. Let’s look at the specifics in Indian perspective and the events that are happening as of now like the ongoing protests against the proposed nuclear reactor in Maharashtra. In the light of the current nuclear accident and situation in Japan’s Fukashima nuclear power plant, there have been protests as expected around the World and countries like Germany have put the nuclear plans on hold. The world is currently divided at the cost of a nuclear power plant and the implications in case of an accident.
For a country like India still developing; where we don’t have enough fossil fuels to satisfy for the power demand we have limited options. Power cuts are frequent in almost all over the country and sometimes the situation is so bad that peak months of summer and winter there is a scheduled power cut almost every day. For a nation of billion plus people we have tried building so many hydro electric projects, we have tried thermal power plants and we also have nuclear power plants operating in the country.Our cities are teeming with millions and the need for power is increasing.
With this nuclear power plant proposed in Jaitapur, Maharashtra (9900 KW) there are several big risks associated – the area is prone to earthquakes (it is in a seismic zone), closer to the sea (probable tsunamis) let alone any accidents of possible fallouts because of human error. Areava is supposed to build the power plant, France will supply fuel for 25 years and the state has already ordered compulsory land acquisition. The cost of generating electricity will be much cheaper. There will be huge investment in terms of building the plant and the French company is surely going to make a good deal of money.
What for the people of Jaitpur and nearby region? They will be forced to lose out on their land. We have seen the issues with Narmada and with Tehri dam; the rehabilitation efforts have been questionable leave alone the agony of being forced to move and the emotional impact. It was a heart wrenching moment for people in Tehri to see the land drowning under the water when the dam filled up – for few they had spent all their lives in that landscape. The nearby areas of twenty to thirty kilometers will be the high impact area that needs to be evacuated in case of any nuclear threat. These people fear the worst could happen to them because this will be unplanned, sudden life threatening and possibly much worst.
The question is what is the real cost of development? What sacrifices can the state really ask for and what is the moral limit? If there is a nuclear power plant in my background that State intends to build – there is a potential risk (however minimal) that the whole area may become a ghost town and even death and several long term emotional, physical and financial implications. This is not an exaggeration but a reality of Chernobyl accident. When the question comes down to life and death, existence and everything, do we still need to support the cause? Is the state for the good of few at the cost of others?
When we have the right to weed out plants which destroy our crops from our fields shouldn’t we have bigger rights to decide if a Nuclear power plant needs to come up in our region? Especially when the power that is going to be generated is going to be supplied to the national grid and going to light up the industries and being consumed more in the cities. Isn’t it like saying that ship breaking industry is safe because it is being done in Bangladesh or recycling being done in China. The poor are paying for the sins – lives are cheaper in China and Bangladesh then in US or West from where the waste originates.
I am going to make another stark comparison and a bold statement. What I described above sounds like a lesson from the history book and describes what was the reality in pre independent India. We were all forced by British to do things like growing Indigo which had long term implications on land and livelihood for the benefit of people in England.
Sometimes it looks like the same thing the people in rest of India are directly or indirectly offering to the people of Jaitapur. There are riots going on – police is trying to keep the situation under control, the memorandum of understanding has been signed the state is gearing up, people are fighting for it but I can’t decide what is right and what is wrong?
I still know the soldiers know and fight for the National Pride. They even lay down their lives for the cause of it and it is easy to comment. If everyone steps back how will the country move forward? Can someone enlighten me?
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaitapur_Nuclear_Power_Project
http://www.hindustantimes.com/tabloid-news/mumbai/14-held-for-2-month-old-rioting-case-in-Jaitapur/Article1-668432.aspx
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article1501268.ece
Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Nuclear_power_plant.svg/446px-Nuclear_power_plant.svg.png
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