To decide on ‘pinnacle protest’ against project commissioning The latest announcement from Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office V. Narayanasamy on the possible commissioning of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in mid-January has compelled the protesters to convene a meeting of community leaders on January 13 at Idinthakarai to decide on the future course of action against the upcoming nuclear park. “The meeting to be attended by community leaders at Idinthakarai on January 13 will take the final decision in this regard as the Indian Government and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited are not prepared to heed the appeals of the protesting public,” said S.P. Udayakumar, convener of the Anti-KKNPP Struggle Committee on Friday. Though Mr. Naranyanasamy had on several occasions announced that the first reactor of the 2 X 1,000 MWe would be commissioned on various dates and all those deadlines were not met for various reasons, his latest announcement that electricity would be generated at KKNPP on January 15 has assumed greater significance. Since all tests and subsequent inspections have been completed in the first reactor, the KKNPP administration is now waiting for the formal commissioning. Against this backdrop, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman R.K. Sinha has also informed that the possible commissioning of KKNPP’s first reactor would take place in mid-January. As the Tamil month of ‘Thai’ is considered auspicious, it is widely expected that the first reactor would attain criticality on January 15. The Minister’s assertion has agitated the protesters, who have decided to convene a meeting at Idinthakarai on January 13 to decide on the future course of action to be taken or to finalise the form of the ‘pinnacle protest’ to be orchestrated prior to the possible commissioning of the first reactor. As Dr. Udayakumar had warned on several occasions that any attempt by the Centre to go ahead with the criticality of the first reactor would have “serious consequences,” it is expected that the anti-nuke protesters would unleash the “ultimate agitation” to halt the possible commissioning. KKNPP administration is now waiting for formal commissioning on January 15 Protesters expected to unleash the ‘ultimate agitation to halt it