October 13, 16:00 to 18:00 Hrs. Hall no.1,
Xavier Centre for Historical Research, Alto Porvorim
After the Fukushima disaster – which is still unfolding, beyond total containment – many nations heavily dependent on nuclear fission power till then, decided to move away from this frankenstein energy source, often under immense public pressure. The global nuclear power industry – unlike the nuclear weapons business – was already on a decline before Fukushima, with new-build orders a trickle and many older reactors nearing end of useful life. Fukushima was thought to be the last blast to dismantle the six-decade old global nuclear power superstructure, for the flurry of actions against nuclear fission power reactors across the globe. Unfortunately, many of us possibly had underestimated the capacity of the global nuclear power industry to subvert any positive transition, of their manipulative capacities to capture governance and decision making systems.
Taking advantage to a degree of the public fatigue to mass-scares and coordinated media blitzes on the ‘improved safety’ of new reactors and their ‘climate saving roles’, this dying technology and industry of nuclear fission power has been put on oxygen. There is a mini revival of the nuclear power industry being attempted. The three biggest nation-states (China, Russia and India) out of the five member states of BRICS (two others being Brazil and South Africa) – are taking vanguard positions in this.
Faced with the massive nuclear plans of the governments, most BRICS nations have seen large scale public protests and resistances, which start with resisting forcible land acqisition, and also includes the real fears of nuclear radiation impacts. In the Workshop being organized during the People’s Forum on BRICS, various anti-nuk movements will briefly share their experiences, we will also hear from South African (and possibly other BRICS member states) experiences. We will attempt to forge sharing networks and loose alliances amongst various movement groups.
Organizers : National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements (NAAM), All India People’s Initiative Against Nuclear power (AIPIANP), and CNDP (tbc).
Contacts : Soumya Dutta, , Dr. S P Udaykumar, , Satyajit Chavan,
