NANDHIVARMAN ON TAMIL NADU

THE SEA COAST EROSION

  Nowadays seas frighten the fisher folk. For centuries fisher folk had established unassailable bond of love with seas, but in post tsunami phase every change in the sea causes nightmare. The sea recedes and people become panicky. Waves enter villages lashing out the beaches. People run hither thither for safety. Kanyakumari to Cuddalore almost for a week people of the coast spent sleepless nights and anxious days. This scenario had waken up the social thinkers and scientists to look for solutions to coastal erosion. Changes due to continental drift is inevitable. Here too if we look at the projections made by scientists, the future world map of 100 million years and 250 million years show changes in India’s position but India always remain attached to the Asian continent. This should be viewed with consolation, because in past India was an island nation separated from Asia.

“Our planet is a tri-axial ellipsoid, moving around the Sun in an elliptical orbit at 30 kilometers per second and rotating around its axis at 1,666 kilometers per hour which is faster than speed of sound. Such high speed rotation has resulted in polar areas being compressed towards the center and equatorial areas being bulged out” says Professor Vishal Sharma. Apart from these changes the coast of Tamil Nadu had undergone variations in the past but the present causes more concern. As per study by the School of Earth Sciences of Bharathidasan University " Before 1.5 million years ago Sea extended up to Madurai. Around 90,000 years before Chennai, Pondicherry and Vedaranyam were encircled by seas. Since sea level subsided 65,000 years ago India and Ceylon got connected. When sea level rose by 27,000 years ago both parted and when it fell by 17,000 years before joined again to part again". And amidst panic, if we look at the map of coastal changes in Tamil Nadu, one could know that the coast instead of moving inwards  had extended seawards. This is enough to give us fresh hope for survival braving the fury of Nature.

 The sea erosion of coast is not an India specific problem. "More than 80 percent of the world shorelines are eroding at the rates varying from centimeters to meters per year." says Orrin.H.Pelkey, Professor of Geology and Director of the Program for the study of Developed Shorelines in the Duke University, North Carolina, USA. He had authored two books and one of its title has a message to all of us. " Living by the Rules of the Sea" is his book and it is high time we learn to live by the rules of the seas.

 A walk in the beach and breathing its salubrious breeze is world wide habit. But how many of those who visit beaches are aware on how beaches are formed ? People are worried about erosion. But it is a fact that without erosion beaches could not be formed. "Without the process of erosion, we would not have beaches, dumes, barrier beaches and the highly  productive bays and estuaries that owe their existence to the presence of barrier beaches" opines Jim O'Connell, the Coastal Processes Specialist of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Well erosion might have helped beach formation, but it is sending alarm bells from Kanyakumari to Chennai and beyond. Let us look for some scholarly opinion in this regard. After a close study at the Pitchavaram forests near Chidambaram, M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation reveals that "in between 1930 and 1970, the seashore had eroded by 550 meters. Between 1970 and 1992 the rate of erosion was about 12 meters." The writing on the wall is clear. In past Sirkazhi was a coastal town, which now is interior by kms. The Harbour of Choza Empire, Poompuhar is now beneath the seas. At present warning from Pitchavaram must awaken us. 

Apart from facing Nature's onslaughts with preventive measures , human errors too needs to be corrected. Sand is the food for beaches, and it is needless to say that our rivers are not supplying that food to the beaches. Human exploitation and drying of rivers depletes sand supply to beaches. Interlinking of rivers as often advised by our President A.P.J.Abdul Kalam will not only solve water crisis but will save dying beaches. 

Sea level rise is primarily due to the thermal expansion of the sea water and melting of the glaciers and ice caps. Artic Climate Impact assessment by 250 scientists says that “ global warming is heating the Artic almost twice as fast as rest of the planet ” United Nations sponsored Inter Governmental panel on climate change will be bringing out its fourth assessment by 2007. Changing Winds and currents in the Indian ocean in 1990’s contributed to the global warming says a NASA study in the Geophysical Research Letters. The recent lashing of waves of Tamil Nadu coast was triggered by a storm near Australia, scientists say. The National Hurricane Center of USA reports that “ hurricanes release heat energy at the rate of 50 trillion to 200 trillion watts. This is equivalent to 10 mega ton nuclear bomb exploding about every 20 minutes.” But we in India are in one way lucky. Our coast will not be hit by hurricanes. Our cyclones are less intense. Storms that hit continental America have almost the full width of Atlantic Ocean to gain strength, Since our cyclones emanate from Bay of Bengal there is neither room nor time for them to grow, and this natural phenomenon helps us in one way.  

Courtesy: The New Indian Express-weekend-4.06.2005

TIME FOR INDIAN SOCIALIST REVIVAL

SINGLE GLOBAL CURRENCY FOR GLOBAL COMMON MARKET

ACADEMY OF COSMIC CULTURE PROTESTS NUCLEAR TESTS OF FRANCE

                                        ANTI-NUCLEAR CAMPAIGNS

All those who love humanity will oppose the nuclear designs, ambitions and craziness of the countries of the earth, or to be precise, the madness of their political masters. The French Governments decision to resume nuclear testing at Mururora Atoll was condemned by a team of eminent men/women from Pondicherry.The background to our protest here is given hereafter. THE HINDU, English Daily in a news write up enlightened the Indian public.

MURUROA PROTEST FLEET UNDER WAY

Wellington: August 11:1995

Atleast 14 vessels are under way or preparing to cast off for Mururoa to protest the proposed series of French nuclear tests slated to begin on the South Pacific atoll in September. Several television networks, including U.S.based Cable News Network, plan live coverage from the flotilla of ships and boats that will gather at the atoll., 1300 kilometers southeast of Papeete. The unarmed New Zealand navy research ship Tui,which will depart from Auckland on Saturday, will serve as the fleet's aloof watchdog.

The battle scarred Green peace ship Rainbow Warrior II rammed by the French navy at Mururoa last month, has completed repairs and is scheduled to leave Fiji on Sunday. Greenpeace, another of the protest group's vessels, will pass through Panama on Sunday. The Vega, which 20 years ago was the first Greenpeace boat to visit Mururoa, is set to leave Papeete on Sunday. Other vessels en route for Mururoa include the Manutea from San Francisco and four yachts from New Zealand. A ship chartered by Australian politicians, the German flagged yachts  Colonial Heritage and Tara, now in Rarotonga in the Cook islands.and the Lady Sephora and Stardust 48 out of Papeete and Maiuhia out of Tonga are also scheduled to leave for Mururoa. Other ships may join the flotilla.

The Tui Captain Lieutenant Commander John Campbell, says he is under strict orders not to cross into France's 12 nautical mile(20 kilometer) exclusion zone and if any protest fleet crossed the line they could not expect help from Tui." They are naughty boys after that" said Mr. Campbell. "They are law breakers and I want nothing to do with them to jeopardize my government role". Radio contact with Greenpeace was also forbidden during the mission,as was communication with any vessels that breached the exclusion zone. "We've got to be seen internationally squeaky clean" Brigadier Graeme Talbot of the Defence department said.Government back bench MP,Mr.Brian Neeson,who along with opposition  labour MP, Christ Carter, will be abroad the Tui,for five weeks, is taking Wilbursmith books, country music, and a memory enhancement course. Carter has Collen McCullough books and will do some weight training.

Keating accepts French promise

At Sydney,the Australian Prime Minister Mr.Paul Keating, said on Friday he accepted at "face value" a French promise to close down the Mururoa Pacific test site after a series of eight underground tests starting next month. His comment followed a statement by senior French foreign Ministry official, Mr.Yves Detrieux, on Wednesday that France would stop all forms of nuclear testing and close to its Mururoa facility once it had finished its latest test programme in the South Pacific.

The Australian Prime minister Mr.Gareth Evans , said that while French support for a total ban on testing under a comprehensive treaty would be a major breakthrough,he would prefer to have it confirmed by the French President  Mr.Jacques Chirac.However Mr.Keating told reporters in Canberra that he accepted the commitment. "It was said by an official of the French foreign ministry and we take that at face value that authority brings" he said. Mr.Keating said the announcement by France vindicated Australia's strong campaign against Mr.Chirac's decision to resume testing announced in June.

" We've essentially led the campaign and there is now a lot of European opinion against President Chirac's decision, and very strong public opinion in Germany.", Mr.Keating said. " I think it's German's public opinion that Mr.Chirac would probably respond to, outside French public opinion, and to the extent that we have been influential in that is, I think, shown in expressions by the French that they will sign the comprehensive test ban treaty and shut Mururoa down.

French flags burnt

At Seoul, a group of South Korean environmental activists joined the international condemnation of French nuclear testing on Friday,by burning French national flags and products in downtown Seoul.

Courtesy: -AFP

MUSHROOMING PROTESTS

It was almost like a sequel to a movie. Ten years ago in the day, the RAINBOW WARRIOR, a coveted British trawler that had become the flagship of the environmental group, Greenpeace, was blown up in the Auckland harbour in New Zealand by French secret service agents.A Greenpeace photographer was killed.Greenpeace, a consistent critic of France's nuclear testing programme, had become a menace and the French Government had decided to hit back. Two secret service agents responsible for the explosion were however caught, and France's dubious methods of dealing with the nuclear protesters were clearly exposed. The incident marked a low point between France and countries of the South Pacific, and perhaps contributed in some measure to the moratorium on testing that the then President Mr. Francois Mitterand announced in 1992.

Now a decade later, Greenpeace,the French authorities and the nations of the South Pacific are on collision course once again. The French President Mr.Jacques Chirac's decision to resume nuclear testing in the Mururoa atoll in the South Pacific lead to outrage throughout the region. Greenpeace sent the Rainbow warrior II, the ship the environmental group had got to replace the original Rainbow warrior, into the test site are as a mark of protest.France responded vigorously French naval frigate rammed the Greenpeace ship and naval commandoes released them 15 hours later.

The incident made headlines the world over, and further infuriated opinion in the region. Australia and New Zealand, had done little to conceal their anger the moment the testing programme was announced. New Zealand's outspoken Prime Minister , Mr Jim Bolger denounced the decision as an arrogant action of a foreign colonial power, while the Foreign minister Mr.Don Mckinnon went a step further and accused Mr.Chirac of "Gaulist-Nepoleanic arrogance". The Australian Prime Minister Mr.Paul Keating, recalled the Australiam ambassador in Paris, and announced that all defence cooperation between  France and Australia would remain suspended as long as these tests continued.These governmental protests were backed by popular boycott of French goods and mass demonstrations in front of French embassies. Within the French Pacific territories, the resumption of testing has given a boost to groups demanding independence from France.

The concern in the South Pacific is largely on environmental grounds. France explodes its nuclear warheads deep under the basalt rock that makes up the Pacific atolls. Theoretically, the heat of the explosion should vitrify the rock around the test site, and seal in the nuclear waste. But environmental activists have argued that the radio active material can leak and cause large scale contamination of the Pacific. They also say that earlier explosions could have weakened and fractured the atoll so badly, that radioactive waste would seep through. This has caused great anxiety in the islands of the region, as well as in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, which could all be affected if radiation leaks into the sea. France has argued that the test cause no environmental risks, to which the classic riposte has been"if it is so safe,why don't they test nuclear weapons in mainland France?" Japan has lodged a formal protest.

It was not only in South Pacific that the French decision set off protests. Closer to home, France's European neighbours made no effort to hide their irritation. At a recent meeting of European union Foreign Ministers, seven of the 15 members of the EU publicly expressed their dissatisfaction at the French decision. The European Parliamentarians accorded a cold welcome to Mr.Chirac when he came to address them.

The French decision is embarrassing to the Europeans for two reasons. First, it came just after the conference to review the non-proliferation treaty, and made a mockery of the statements that were made at the conference by the West calling for nuclear restraint in the rest of the world. Second, it has come when negotiations are under way to ban all nuclear weapons tests, and has clearly indicated that despite all the talk of a test ban treaty, the nuclear weapon powers have no intention of mothballing their weapons.

The extent of the protest must have come as a surprise to Mr.Chirac, but it is not in any way going to change his decision. Mr.Chirac is convinced that this series of tests are essential if France is to continue to have a viable, independent and nuclear deterrent, a view that is based on the recommendations of the French defence and nuclear establishments. The timing of the tests has been determined by the possibility of a test ban treaty being ready by the end of next year. Before the treaty, France wants to develop the techniques of simulating nuclear weapons explosions  on computer, a technique which the U.S is already well advanced in. Once France reaches this stage,it will no longer need to conduct nuclear tests in order to be able to develop new generations of nuclear weapons, but will be able to do this through laboratory work. But to reach this stage France still requires to conduct more tests. France, since 1991,has been working on a project to simulate nuclear tests known as the PALEN programme.

The French Government has maintained that its current testing programme, is not linked to developing new weapons, but only to get enough data to ensure the safety of the French nuclear stockpile. Maintaining the safety of warheads has been an argument that all nuclear weapon powers have used to justify nuclear testing.But there are clear indications that France also intends to develop and deploy a new generation of nuclear weapons. The first ofa new generation of nuclear submarines is due to enter into service this year, armed with a new missile., the M-45. Another missile, the M-5 is also on the drawing board and there is suspicion that the current series of tests could be linked with the development of a new warhead for this missile.A new generation of nuclear surface to air missiles is also being planned.

The French decision to resume testing only goes to show that all the concern for non proliferation shown by the nuclear weapon powers is not intended to curb their own weapons programmes, but is only intended to reinforce the current divisions between the nuclear haves and have nots.

Courtesy: The Hindu daily Article by Thomas Abraham in Geneva.

As world was reverberating with protests the Pondicherrians too rose to act

FRANCE ASKED TO DESIST FROM NUCLEAR TESTS

Pondicherry July 18 -1995

A four member delegation of the Academy of Cosmic culture headed by M.K.Sayeekumari on Tuesday presented a memorandum to the French Consul General here Mr.Claude Bonnet, expressing their protest against the proposed violation of the 1992 moratorium by the French government nuclear weapons testing.

The memorandum signed by ten members of the Academy also said the great country France that gave the world three cardinal principles of equality, liberty and fraternity and the nation that placed the individual as the center of all political endeavour could take the liberty to infringe on the human rights of Tahitians and 28 million peoples of the Pacific region and demolish the foundation of freedom, justice and peace. France should prove to humanity that it would live up to its tradition and culture.Non-proliferation talks and treaties continue as never ending exercises in futilty. Nuclear weapon free zones had also been earmarked but the day for the total universe free of nuclear arsenals was still elusive, the memorandum said and hastened to add that it would also become out of reach if countries like France wedded to humanism continued the planned eight nuclear tests within the vicinity of Mururoa atoll.

The memorandum appealed to the French government to refrain from nuclear tests and help humanity develop under a cosmic culture and peace and progress in pushing the borders of human endeavors. The delegation comprised Dr.M.P.Ramanujam( an ecologist), Dr.T.Devidasan( who explained in French the ill effects of the nuclear tests proposed by France to the French representative.) and Mr.N.Nandhivarman.

Courtesy: THE HINDU (July 19-1995)

(Mr.N.Nandhivarman after a self imposed political exile of 14 years was back in Pondicherry and was Associate Editor of New Times Observer. Dr.T.Devidasan, brother of the Poet Laureate of Dravidan Movement Vaanidasan was his neighbour. In order to promote the literary circle with certain global goals,he conceived the Academy of Cosmic Culture, hoping Devadasan will shoulder it. But with this one activity it died a natural death.The vision for this cosmic culture emanated from the writings of M.P.John, octogenarian Editor of New Times Observer)