TIRUNELVELI: Not many environmental activists in the Southern districts with whom Mugilan has closely associated himself in the mass struggles against the Kudankulam nuclear power project or the Sterlite have openly come forward to speak in support of him.
The noted environmentalist, Shanmugam alias Mugilan, who was found raising slogans against Sterlite and creating of the Away From Reactor facility (AFR) project at Kudankulam last Saturday (July 6) in Tirupati railway station, after he went missing in a mysterious manner around five months back, however, did not get great support from expected quarters.
“Even the Opposition parties which play good politics against the state government, remained silent mainly because of the rape case registered against Mugilan at the Kulithalai all women police station, based on the complaint made by one of Mugilan’s former woman activist. This case, however, was registered to malign Mugilan, so as to divert people's attention from the issues he has been raising,” said Velan Gunaseelan, an associate of Mugilan in Thoothukudi.
“If at all a case is registered, it is a personal issue, and has no connection either to the on-going protests against Sterlite or the Kudankulam agitations,” said Velan Gunaseelan, who also added that Mugilan was true to the people in these issues.
Velan also said major Opposition party leaders may be waiting for Mugilan to speak out, so as to get a clear picture of what happened to him.
“I am sure that leaders like M K Stalin and Kanimozhi will surely come out with their statement in support of Mugilan, once he discloses details behind his abduction,” hoped Velan Gunaseelan.
However, Mugilan’s close associate in the anti-nuke movement against Kudankulam nuclear project, Dr S P Udayakumar said, “Mugilan was interested in projecting himself as a lone crusader on environmental issues like Kudankulam or Sterlite, which to a large extent failed to build mass support for himself when he went missing.”
Recalling Mugilan separately forming his own organisation at Idinthakarai against Kudankulam nuclear project in 2014, Udayakumar said that Mugilan also failed to work in coordination with any of the anti-sterlite groups in Thoothukudi.Hence, not many in the Southern districts spontaneously came forward to speak for him.
