On Wednesday 24th November Foil Vedanta’s friend Keith passed away following a seizure which occurred in his sleep several years after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was 56 years old. Keith was a committed activist and played a major role in the Vedanta AGM demonstrations in 2011 and 2012, including taking part in an early morning noise demonstration outside Anil Agarwal’s house.
Keith was a deeply compassionate man, who gave his time and energy to a variety of struggles from the squatters movement to anti-aviation both day and night. His warm, cheeky presence was always appreciated and noticed at meetings and demonstrations. He was also a colourful character, a self admitted ex-bank robber and a portrait painter who would leave a demo to spend a few hours at the Victoria and Albert museum and eat a fancy lunch ‘free of charge’ before returning to the front line. Keith was courageous, compassionate, loving and had deep integrity and he will be sorely missed by many, including his friends at Foil Vedanta.
Thosands rally against Kodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu
Protest outside Indian high commission.
This protest is part of the international day of action.
Protests will also take place on the same date in Belgium, Germnay, Malaysia,India, Sri Lanka.
Wednesday 24 October
4pm to 7pm
India House Aldwych
WC2B 4NA
Nearest tube: Holborn
Stop the project to build a nuclear power station at Koodankulam immediately
Stop police brutality against Koodankulam campaigners. Defend the democratic right to protest
Abolish all nuclear projects in Tamil Nadu and all Indian states. We demand massive public investment into renewable energy, the sources for which are abundant in India, and in millions of green jobs, with decent pay and health and safety legislation
End western government investment in Indian nuclear projects. Solidarity with all those fighting big corporates involved in energy across the planet – people and planet – not big business profit – must be the priorities
Thousands demonstrate at Koodankulam nuclear power plant, Tamil Nadu
(from Countercurrents.org)20 October, 2012
A number of Foil Vedanta members were represented at this meeting in the House of Commons. We send our solidarity to those affected and fighting this dirty and dangerous technology being forced upon them.
Doctors, academics, legal workers and activists at a packed meeting in the House of Commons in London last night (18 October) declared their solidarity with the protesters against the nuclear power plants at Koodankulam, India and Hinkley Point, Somerset, UK and their opposition to nuclear power as a source of energy. The meeting was hosted by MP Caroline Lucas and organized jointly by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and South Asia Solidarity Group .
Caroline Lucas M.P. told the meeting that she was deeply worried about the situation in Koodankulam – both in terms of the nuclear plant and the treatment of local opponents. She also condemned David Cameron’s policy of exporting civil nuclear technology to India.
She said “In agreeing to lift a ban on the export of nuclear technology and components to India, Prime Minister David Cameron ignored official recommendations and shunned concerns that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. The government also seems untroubled by the fact that the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the organisation in charge of safety in all of India’s nuclear facilities, shares staff with, and is funded by, the organisations it is supposed to be regulating. This clearly compromises its ability to act independently and to enforce vigorous safety regulations. The fact that the nuclear establishment in India is under no obligation to disclose information on the nuclear power sector to citizens, nor does the country have a long-term radioactive waste disposal policy only adds to the concerns. I pay tribute to the campaign against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant, which is standing up for local people in the face of human rights abuses by the police and the authorities. By standing in solidarity together, we can send a clear and strong message that nuclear power is not a welcome solution to our energy needs.”
