From September 2011, fishing villages around the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, staged hunger strikes, sieges and sea protests to stop the Russian-built reactors from starting. Led by the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), the movement met mass police action in 2012, and a fisherman was shot dead at Manapad. The Supreme Court cleared the plant in May 2013, and Unit 1 reached the grid that October. Some of the cases filed against thousands of villagers were still pending in 2023.
Key takeaways
- A September 2011 fast at Idinthakarai led the Tamil Nadu cabinet to ask the Centre to halt work at Kudankulam; in March 2012 it reversed course and cleared the plant.
- On 10 September 2012 police baton-charged protesters on the Kudankulam beach and shot dead a fisherman at Manapad; police said they acted in self-defence.
- PM Manmohan Singh blamed US-based NGOs; three NGOs lost licences. PMANE denied foreign funding.
- Police filed over 300 FIRs, many against thousands of unnamed people, including for sedition.
- The Supreme Court allowed the plant in May 2013 and urged withdrawal of cases; 63 were still pending in 2023.
Background: a plant from 1988
The Kudankulam project was agreed in 1988 between Rajiv Gandhi and Mikhail Gorbachev. Work on two Russian VVER-1000 reactors began in 2002, and they were nearly complete when the Fukushima accident struck Japan in March 2011 World Nuclear News.
Residents, most of them from fishing communities on the coast, feared for their health and livelihoods. Many had lived through the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. They argued the area could not be evacuated quickly in an emergency Human Rights Watch The News Minute.
The protest was led by PMANE and its convener S.P. Udayakumar, a teacher Amnesty International. Its nerve centre was the Lourdes church on the beach at Idinthakarai, a few kilometres from the plant Open.
How it started: the September 2011 fast
Protests grew from August 2011 Scroll. By 19 September, more than 100 people had been fasting at Idinthakarai for nine days. That day Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to halt the project until safety fears were addressed. The Hindu.
Singh sent Minister of State V. Narayanasamy to meet the fasters on 20 September. Jayalalithaa then agreed to seek a temporary halt, saying permanent closure was not in her power, and the fast was called off Down To Earth. The state cabinet resolution in September 2011 asked the Centre to freeze all work until local people's fears were dispelled Deccan Herald.
The Centre did not halt the plant. Singh wrote to Jayalalithaa asking her to ensure its timely operation. In early October 2011, 106 people began a 72-hour hunger strike outside St. Lourdes Church to protest against the Centre's "adamant attitude" The Hindu. A relay fast continued for months. World Nuclear News reported that the protests kept Russian engineers away from the site for more than six months World Nuclear News.
The Centre's position and the NGO charge
Government's position In an interview with Science magazine published in February 2012, Manmohan Singh said:
The atomic energy program had got into difficulties because these NGOs, mostly I think based in the United States, don't appreciate the need for our country to increase the energy supply.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Science interview, February 2012 (World Nuclear News)
On 24 February 2012, Narayanasamy said a Home Ministry inquiry had found three NGOs using foreign money meant for causes such as helping the disabled and leprosy eradication to fund the protests. Their licences were cancelled PTI via Governance Now. The Tribune reported that the three were among 12 NGOs whose funds were under scrutiny. Narayanasamy also said protesters were "brought from various areas in trucks" The Tribune. The NGOs were not publicly named in these reports.
Claim · PMANE Udayakumar called the charge baseless: "It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister has made the allegations without any documentary proof." The Tribune Human Rights Watch said officials used the remarks to investigate NGOs under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act Human Rights Watch. No court finding on the foreign-funding allegation was found in the reporting reviewed.
March 2012: the state changes sides
On 19 March 2012, the day after the Sankarankoil by-election, the Tamil Nadu cabinet gave its nod for "immediate commencement of all start-up works". Jayalalithaa cited a central expert group and a state panel led by former Atomic Energy Commission chairman M.R. Srinivasan, which found the plant "safe in all aspects". She announced a Rs 500 crore package for cold storage, boat repair, roads and housing Deccan Herald Financial Express.
Police arrested PMANE functionaries and Udayakumar began an indefinite fast Financial Express. Prohibitory orders were extended to all of Radhapuram taluk PTI via Deccan Herald. Amnesty International said more than 180 people were arrested that month and all but two were freed within a month Amnesty International. HRW said a security "blockade" of Idinthakarai cut off essential supplies Human Rights Watch.
The fast ended on the evening of 27 March after talks with district officials. Udayakumar said the authorities had agreed to talk and to withdraw the prohibitory orders The Telegraph, reprinted by Nuclear Resister. In May 2012, more than 300 women joined a fresh hunger strike, and police barred gatherings of more than four people within 7 km of the plant Amnesty International.
September 2012: fuel loading, firing and the sea protest
In August 2012 the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board cleared loading of fuel into Unit 1 Radio Vaticana. PMANE called a siege of the plant.
March on the plant
About 6,000 people marched along the beach towards the plant, according to Open Open. Crowds camped about 500 metres from the plant, defying prohibitory orders PTI-Bhasha via Aaj Tak.
Baton charge on the beach
Police baton-charged protesters on the Kudankulam beach and fired tear gas IANS via ICSF. Eyewitnesses told Amnesty that more than 1,500 police beat unarmed protesters, injuring about 60, including a child, and that some protesters threw sand and stones Amnesty International.
Firing at Manapad
In Manapad, Thoothukudi district, police said a crowd of about 400 attacked a police check post and injured three police personnel, including a woman constable. A policeman then fired in what police called "defensive firing" IANS via ICSF. Fisherman G. Antony John was killed. The Hindu gave his age as 48; other reports said 44 The Hindu via ICSF Radio Vaticana. In Kudankulam, crowds set fire to a panchayat office, a village administrative office and a state liquor shop PTI-Bhasha via Aaj Tak.
Protests spread
Police said about 1,050 people, including about 750 MDMK activists, were arrested in demonstrations across the state. Udayakumar announced he would surrender but fishermen took him away by boat IANS via ICSF Open.
Raids alleged
Claim · Amnesty, residents Amnesty said police evicted at least 500 protesters from Idinthakarai, damaged the church, burned boats and motorcycles and looted property Amnesty International. Open reported residents' accounts of house-to-house beatings, and that police denied any role and blamed protesters Open.
Jal satyagraha
Thousands moved into the sea and stood in a human chain, watched by Coast Guard ships and aircraft The Tribune. Protester Francis Sahayam, 38, fell from a rock as a Coast Guard aircraft flew low and died on 13 September Open. On 13 September the Supreme Court refused to stay fuel loading but agreed to examine the risks The Tribune.
Both accounts
Protesters' account
PMANE said the movement was non-violent and that the government cracked down instead of answering safety questions. Udayakumar said "only six out of 17 safety measures" had been implemented by the fuel-loading stage and that safety and environmental reports had not been shared Open. A September 2012 fact-finding team that included a former Bombay High Court judge found the force used "disproportionate and unjustified", including against women, children and the elderly Human Rights Watch. Amnesty called the sedition charges false Amnesty International.
Police and government account
"Protesters had plans to invade the nuclear plant and we were forced to take preventive action," said Director-General of Police K. Ramanujam Radio Vaticana. Jayalalithaa said protesters "attacked police with logs" and that tear gas was fired "in self-defence". She called the plant safe and announced Rs 5 lakh for the family of the man killed IANS via ICSF. Expert panels and the state cabinet held the plant safe against earthquakes and tsunamis World Nuclear News.
The cases against villagers
Counts vary by source:
- In May 2012, HRW cited activists' counts of at least 3,500 people facing sedition probes and cases against over 50,000 since October 2011 Human Rights Watch.
- In 2014, HRW counted over 300 FIRs. Charges had been filed in only two cases and in none of the sedition cases. One FIR named Udayakumar, 25 others and 2,225 unnamed people Human Rights Watch.
- In September 2012, Amnesty said 53 people faced sedition charges. More than 25 were arrested, including four boys under 18 Amnesty International.
- Scroll and The News Minute reported in 2019 that about 9,000 people were booked between 2011 and 2013 Scroll.
Villagers said the cases cost them passports and jobs abroad, and in 2019 some still attended the Valliyur court every three months The News Minute. Udayakumar's passport was impounded. In September 2014 immigration officials stopped him at Delhi airport under a lookout notice Human Rights Watch.
Kudankulam protest cases, Tamil Nadu government figures, 2014
The Supreme Court's 2013 judgment
On 6 May 2013, Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra dismissed the petitions in G. Sundarrajan v Union of India. They said a balance had to be struck between the right to life and sustainable development Business Today. The court said public fears about commissioning had "no basis" World Nuclear News.
It issued 15 directions. The plant could not run without final clearance from the AERB, NPCIL and the Department of Atomic Energy. Inspections were required at least every three months, and a deep geological repository for spent fuel was to be built "at the earliest" LiveLaw. On the cases, it said:
Endeavour should be made to withdraw all the criminal cases filed against the agitators so that peace and normalcy be restored at Kudankulam and nearby places.
Supreme Court of India, 6 May 2013 (The Hindu)
On 8 May 2014, a bench led by Justice Radhakrishnan rejected a plea for a committee to check compliance. It said the authorities were taking the necessary steps, though some directions "are yet to be fulfilled" Down To Earth.
Outcome
- Deaths: G. Antony John, shot by police at Manapad on 10 Sept 2012. Francis Sahayam died after a fall during the sea protest on 13 Sept 2012.
- Injuries: About 60 protesters on 10 Sept 2012, per Amnesty; three police at Manapad, per police.
- Arrests: 180+ in March 2012; about 1,050 statewide in Sept 2012, per police.
- Cases: Over 300 FIRs. About 9,000 people booked, many for sedition and waging war.
- Plant: Unit 1 joined the grid in October 2013 and began commercial operation in December 2014. Unit 2 joined the grid in August 2016 World Nuclear News.
Case withdrawals
In April 2014, before the national elections, the state said it would drop 248 of 349 cases. It told the Supreme Court it could not drop the other 101, which it said involved serious crimes such as sedition and attacks on individuals and officials Human Rights Watch.
In November 2019, as opposition leader, M.K. Stalin called the charges "politically motivated" and demanded their withdrawal The News Minute. In February 2021, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said the state would consider withdrawing them after PMANE asked for 105 pending cases to be dropped The News Minute.
After the DMK came to power, a government order dated 4 September 2021 withdrew 5,570 protest cases. Of these, 26 were filed against Kudankulam protesters Deccan Herald The News Minute.
Where things stand in 2025-26
On 21 July 2023 a sub-court sentenced 18 people, including four women, to seven years in jail. The case concerned an alleged 2013 attack on two fishermen who refused to share their catch to fund the protest. Udayakumar, Pushparayan and M.P. Jesuraj were acquitted. Sources told the New Indian Express that most of the 300-plus cases had been withdrawn but 63 remained pending The Wire. Land Conflict Watch, in an entry updated in June 2025, reported Udayakumar's allegation that the DMK's 2021 promise to withdraw cases remains unfulfilled Land Conflict Watch. No later reporting found shows all cases closed.
Opposition has since shifted to spent fuel storage and the port. In 2021 the DMK government and Udayakumar objected to a storage facility for spent fuel at the site, citing the Supreme Court's call for a deep geological repository The News Minute. In July 2024, fishermen protested breakwater construction near Idinthakarai Land Conflict Watch.
On 25 April 2026, NPCIL began flushing Unit 3's safety systems, a key commissioning step. The Federal reported the unit was heading for commissioning in 2027. Six 1,000 MW units are planned at the site The Federal.
Questions people ask
What happened at Manapad in September 2012?
On 10 September 2012, police said a crowd attacked a check post in Manapad, Thoothukudi district, and injured three personnel. A policeman fired, and fisherman G. Antony John was killed. Police called it self-defence. Residents demanded a judicial inquiry.
Were Kudankulam protesters charged with sedition?
Yes. Police filed over 300 FIRs, many naming thousands of unnamed people, under sections including sedition and waging war. About 9,000 people were booked between 2011 and 2013, according to Scroll and The News Minute.
What did the Supreme Court decide on Kudankulam?
On 6 May 2013 it allowed the plant to proceed under 15 safety directions. It also asked the government to try to withdraw criminal cases against the agitators.
Have the cases been withdrawn?
Partly. Tamil Nadu dropped 248 of 349 cases in 2014 and 26 more in 2021. In July 2023, 63 cases were reported pending, and a court jailed 18 people in one case.
Sources
- The Hindu (via India Environment Portal): Halt Kudankulam project, Jayalalithaa urges Manmohan, 19 Sept 2011
- Down To Earth: Protest against Kudankulam nuclear plant called off, 21 Sept 2011
- The Hindu (via India Environment Portal): One-day anti-nuke fast turns into 72-hour strike at Idinthakarai, 9 Oct 2011
- World Nuclear News: Singh: Foreign groups behind anti-nuclear protest, 24 Feb 2012
- PTI via Governance Now: Anti-nuclear campaign: NGOs' licence cancelled, 24 Feb 2012
- The Tribune: Probe shows foreign hand behind Kudankulam N-protest: PMO, 25 Feb 2012
- World Nuclear News: Cabinet clears way for Kudankulam, 19 Mar 2012
- Deccan Herald: Jaya gives nod to K'kulam N-plant, 19 Mar 2012
- Financial Express (via India Environment Portal): TN govt clears Koodankulam project, 19 Mar 2012
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Woman anti-nuke activist swoons at fast venue, 26 Mar 2012
- The Telegraph (reprinted by Nuclear Resister): Koodankulam fasters relent; government lifts siege, 27 Mar 2012
- Human Rights Watch: India: End Intimidation of Peaceful Protesters at Nuclear Site, 11 May 2012
- Amnesty International: Tamil Nadu protestors face imminent arrest (ASA 20/020/2012), 11 May 2012
- Aaj Tak / PTI-Bhasha: Kudankulam protests turn violent, one killed in police firing (Hindi), 10 Sept 2012
- IANS via ICSF: Situation calm in Kudankulam, anti-nuke protest leaders abducted by fishermen, 11 Sept 2012
- Radio Vaticana: Anti-nuke protest in Tamilnadu state turns violent, 11 Sept 2012
- World Nuclear News: Indian protestor killed in clash with police, 11 Sept 2012
- The Hindu via ICSF: Fishing remains suspended in Tuticorin, Sept 2012
- The Tribune (via India Environment Portal): Kudankulam: Anti-nuke 'Jal Satyagraha' enters Day 2, 14 Sept 2012
- Amnesty International: Anti-nuclear protestors arrested in India (ASA 20/033/2012), 19 Sept 2012
- Open: First Strike, 20 Sept 2012
- Business Today: SC dismisses plea against Kudankulam plant, 6 May 2013
- World Nuclear News: Kudankulam's public interest ruling, 7 May 2013
- LiveLaw: SC allows commissioning of Kudankulam nuclear plant, May 2014
- Down To Earth: SC dismisses petition seeking to stall Kudankulam commissioning, 9 May 2014
- Human Rights Watch: India: Stop Harassing Anti-Nuclear Protesters, 23 Sept 2014
- World Nuclear News: Second Kudankulam unit connected to grid, 30 Aug 2016
- The News Minute: Seven years later: the lives of 9,000 people booked for sedition, 21 Nov 2019
- The News Minute: MK Stalin demands withdrawal of sedition cases, 21 Nov 2019
- Scroll: Stalin asks Tamil Nadu to rescind charges against Kudankulam protestors, 21 Nov 2019
- The News Minute: Tamil Nadu CM says will consider taking back cases, 19 Feb 2021
- Deccan Herald: Tamil Nadu withdraws 5,570 cases filed during various protests, 14 Sept 2021
- The News Minute: Tamil Nadu withdraws over 5000 cases against protesters, 17 Sept 2021
- The News Minute: Plan to store spent nuclear fuel at Kudankulam faces stiff resistance, 14 Oct 2021
- The Wire: Kudankulam protest: court awards seven-year imprisonment to 18 persons, 22 July 2023
- Land Conflict Watch: Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant faces renewed protests, updated 17 June 2025
- The Federal: 1,000 MW N-plant in Kudankulam marching towards commissioning in 2027, 29 Apr 2026