Suspense and high tension prevailed around the Koodankulam nuclear power project over the surrender of anti-nuke leader S.P. Udayakumar even as transparency campaigner Arvind Kejriwal arrived at the protest pandal at nearby Idinthakarai on Tuesday night and told the large crowd of men, women and children that it was wrong on the part of the government to push through the plant in such hurried manner.
Udayakumar, convenor of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), had announced earlier in the day that he would surrender to the police along with associates Pushparayan, Mukilan and Fr M.P. Jesuraj “only to prevent further police brutality against our people.” He had set the surrender time at 9 pm but the event did not take place till late night. Around 9.30 pm, Mr Kejriwal drove in by a PMANE Innova. He went to the protest pandal and told the gathering that the government was pushing the nuclear project without addressing the public concerns over radiation risks. Police sources said he was likely to meet Udayakumar and associates at their secret hideout later in the night and witness the promised surrender either late night or early Wednesday.
Udayakumar, Pushp-arayan and Mukilan had fled from the protest on the beach across the Koodankulam plant on Monday when the people, mostly fishermen and families, clashed with the police. Eyewitnesses had seen them hurry off in motorised fiberglass boats, obviously to escape police arrest. In the neighbouring Manapad of Thoothukudi district, one fisherman was killed when the police opened fire.