The Lessons From Japan Film Festival is being jointly organized by Natyagraam, Asha Parivar, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Lucknow Management Association (LMA), Jahangirabad Media Institute (JMI), Humsafar, Youth Forum, CNS and Citizens for Healthy Lucknow campaign. The venue is Professor (Dr) Rama Kant’s Centre, C-2211, C-block crossing, Indira Nagar (date: Saturday, 10 September 2011, time: 3 – 7 pm).
FILMS TO BE SCREENED:
Buddha Weeps in Jadugoda (Duration: 76 min)
Jadugoda is an area in the state of Bihar populated by Adivasi (tribal peoples of India). It first came into prominence when uranium deposits were discovered in the area, since Jadugoda is India's only underground uranium mine. The film documents the devastating effects of uranium mining by Uranium Corporation of India Limited in Jadugoda. For the last thirty years, the radioactive wastes have been just dumped into the rice fields of the Adivasis. The government agency mining the uranium makes no attempt to protect the lives of the people and environment of the area. The unsafe mining of uranium has resulted in excessive radiation which has led to genetic mutations and slow deaths. Medical reports reveal that the impact of radiation on the health of tribal peoples has already been devastating. The film is an attempt to record the tragedy that has played havoc with the lives of the people of Jadugoda.
Chronicle of Severe Days (duration: 6:30 minutes)
This film shows the terrifying images captured by the Russian filmmaker Vladimir Shevchenko on scene at Chernobyl those dreadful days in April 1986. Shevchenko later died suffering from the radiation he exposed himself to. Although his name is not among the official casualties of the accident, this last tragic film of him keeps his name alive forever.
India Radiation Leaks: (aggregated TV news) (duration: 10 minutes)
This contains small TV news clippings of the radiation leak incidents in India.
The Battle of Chernobyl (duration: 92 minutes)
This movie shows the disaster from the day one on 26th April 1986 when the self fuelling system and the security system of the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant was deactivated and caused the destruction.
"Recent nuclear emergency in Japan leaves no doubt that this world needs to renounce nuclear power for military and civil/ energy purposes, as soon as possible, to put an end to any further catastrophe in the name of 'energy', 'security' or 'technology'. Nuclear power is clearly the most dangerous options for civil or military use" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Awardee and a visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar.
The much-touted Indo-US Nuclear Deal is not about India's energy security. "Energy security lies in using indigenous energy resources such as coal, gas, hydro (small, micro dams or run of the river categories), solar, wind energy, biogas etc., and ensuring our future energy supplies from Iran and other countries in West and Central Asia. Obviously, augmenting indigenous coal production, building hydro plants (small, micro dams or run of the river categories), investing in oil exploration, securing gas supplies through Iran Gas Pipeline are much more important for India's energy security than buying imported reactors and importing uranium for such nuclear plants. Although we realize that fossil fuel based method of energy production is also harmful contributing to global warming and ideally like European Union and Japan we should aim for a low-carbon energy production system. India’s future energy policy should be low carbon and no nuclear" said Dr Sandeep Pandey.
Bobby Ramakant - CNS
Published in:
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Elites TV News, California, USA
Greentemple.in, India
