Comics and cartoons seem to have become a platform to vent feelings and frustrations. Snubbed by anti-nuclear power activists and non-government organisations,the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) takes a dig at these groups and individuals in its latest comic book edition. To create awareness on nuclear power and woo locals at its upcoming power plants,which includes Jaitapur and Kudankulam,the NPCIL introduced a comic book last year Ek Tha Budhiya: Kahani Ek Khushal Gav Ki (The story of a prosperous village). It narrated the story of Jagdishpur and its transformation from a village that has been underdeveloped for years to an ideal one. Written in simple Hindi,it was part of the corporations public awareness activities and was later made available in languages like Marathi and English. The third in the series Badal Gaya Budhiya-Kahani Jagdishpur Gav Ke Adarsh Gav Banne Ki (Transformation of Budhiya: story of how Jagdishpur changes into an ideal village) shows how after a visit to a nuclear power plant site in Rajasthan,the villagers are excited about similar transformation in Jagdishpur. It shows compensation cheques being handed over to villagers and work about to start. Stop work,go back from our village,we wont allow a nuclear power plant here. If a plant comes up here,the radiation will enter our farms,house and everywhere else and we will all die from diseases, say a group of villagers from Shikarpur at this juncture. Akin to the previous editions,the third part is also written in simple Hindi and uses a lot of colourful characters and illustrations. The villagers are joined by a person dressed in a yellow kurta who,according to the book,is against nuclear power. The samaj sevi sangathanas talk about the harmful impact of radiation coming from a nuclear power plant and incite people to protest against the upcoming plant. From what you say,it seems these people have not told you the correct facts; thats why you have fallen into their trap and have come to protest.Whenever there is talk of progress,a certain section of the society and organisations come in its way and misleads villagers, says Samir,the protagonist. Further,when the anti-nuclear activist promises to bring progress to the village,Samir says for the last 60-65 years,people like him have only made false promises. And were you not the person who had,two years ago,protested against the setting up of a cloth factory by a big industrialist in this village. With your luring and charming speech,you had misled the people. The factory was set up in another village and look at how it has progressed. Today,villagers have woken up (to whats good for them) and you cannot fool them anymore, he says. The book then goes on describe how the villagers realise their mistake and decide not to oppose the plant. It depicts the setting up of the plant and transformation of Jagdishpur,which gets proper roads,community centre,school and hospital among other facilities like jobs. In the end,it asks citizens to learn from the story of Jagdishpur. If you have to,then protest against misconceptions and wrongs and not against progress, it says. We have been distributing these books at Jaitapur,Ratnagiri,Madhya Pradesh (Chutka plant) and Haryana (Kumbaria nuclear plant) among others. There is an urgent need to educate people where the nuclear plants are being proposed and their immediate vicinity,to clear their confusion and dispel myths. A comic book is not just meant to spread awareness,it makes facts interesting and attractive for a common man, an NPCIL official said.
