Abandon changes to nuclear laws, halt expansion of nuclear energy projects: NAPM urges Govt of India

By A Representative

On the solemn occasion of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has issued a powerful statement urging the Government of India to abandon proposed amendments to nuclear laws and halt the expansion of nuclear energy projects. The alliance, marking three decades of grassroots resistance and transformative advocacy, emphasized that the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must serve as a moral compass steering humanity away from nuclear technology in all forms.

The bombings of August 1945 claimed over 200,000 lives and left generations grappling with the aftermath of radiation and trauma. NAPM warned that despite these historical lessons, India is poised to take a regressive turn by amending the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. These changes, the alliance argues, would dilute supplier liability under Section 17(b) of the CLNDA and open the nuclear sector to private and foreign interests—moves they deem reckless and undemocratic.

NAPM condemned the framing of nuclear energy as a “clean” solution, asserting that it is neither safe nor sustainable. The alliance highlighted the long-standing resistance of communities in Kudankulam, Jaitapur, Mithivirdi, Chutka, and Seoni, who have opposed nuclear projects due to threats of displacement, radiation exposure, and ecological destruction. These movements, NAPM affirmed, are gaining momentum in states like Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, and Goa, where new nuclear proposals are being met with growing public dissent.

The alliance also criticized the government’s promotion of small modular reactors (SMRs) as a technological breakthrough, calling them untested, unsafe, and economically unviable. According to NAPM, nuclear energy exacerbates the climate crisis through its carbon-intensive lifecycle and leaves behind radioactive waste with no permanent solution.

In a global context marked by escalating nuclear tensions—from the US-China rivalry to India-Pakistan hostilities—NAPM warned that expanding nuclear infrastructure at home while weakening liability protections is a perilous gamble. The alliance called for a complete withdrawal of the proposed amendments, urging parliamentarians to prioritize public safety over corporate interests and demanding that regulators uphold transparency and environmental safeguards.

NAPM’s statement concluded with a rallying cry to civil society, scientists, and energy experts to champion decentralised, renewable energy solutions that respect ecological limits and human rights. “Eighty years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” the alliance declared, “the message is clear: Nuclear energy and nuclear weapons are two sides of the same destructive coin. Our fight is for life, dignity, and climate justice—not for a future built on radioactive ruins.”

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