CHENNAI/TIRUNELVELI: Representatives of the people demanding the closing down of the Koodankulam Atomic Power Plant agreed to end the 11-day-old hunger strike, accepting an assurance given by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa that the State Cabinet would adopt a resolution on September 22 urging the Centre to suspend the works on the plant until the fears of the people were allayed. Those on fast at Idinthakarai have decided to wait until Thursday for the delegation to return and brief them about the meeting. The 22-member delegation, comprising Bishops from Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts and traders leader T Vellaiyan, held talks with the CM at the Secretariat. Talking after the discussion, S P Udhayakumar, one of the coordinators of the agitation, said, “Though we have withdrawn the fast in deference to the promise made by the CM, our struggle against the Centre would continue.” Stating that Ministers, including KT Pachaimal, CT Sellapandian and Chenthur Pandian, were extending cooperation to them, he said, “We have sought the permission of the CM for continuing our agitation following ahimsa and satyagraha against the Centre. Our future agitations will be organised in consultation with these ministers. We will shunt out atomic projects from Tamil Nadu.” He also said the CM had agreed to withdraw the cases filed against the agitators so far.“We have requested the CM to urge the Centre to reduce nuclear sources of generating power and increase renewable sources instead and include this in the Cabinet resolution. The CM said this aspect is associated with the Centre’s policy,” Udhayakumar said.
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