India revokes visa of Fukushima survivor

India has revoked the visa of a Fukushima survivor from Japan who was to spend a week in India campaigning against nuclear power plants. HT reports.

India has revoked the visa of a Fukushima survivor from Japan who was to spend a week in India campaigning against nuclear power plants.

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The decision comes after government toughened its stand on global advocacy groups opposing nuclear power and putting 77 NGOs on its global watch list whose officials and guests would go through greater scrutiny before they are granted visas.

As part of the crackdown, the government had ordered probes against four NGOs and deporting a German national who participated in protests against the Kudankulam power plant.

Maya Kobayashi — who suffered due to the March 11 disaster at Fukushima plant – also was due to travel to Kudankulam and elsewhere in India at the invitation of Greenpeace India. She was to reach India on Thursday night.

Kobayashi was granted a business visa on an invitation letter from Greenpeace India on February 15.

“The cancellation of her visa is a clear sign that the government is paranoid about allowing people to even share experiences on an issue that affects the safety of millions...,” Samit Aich, executive director, Greenpeace India said in a statement.

‘Reconsider ban’

The Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent M Concessao, on Wednesday appealed to the government to reconsider its ban on several "good NGOs" in Tamil Nadu, particularly the Tuticorin diocesan accounts. The government has frozen the accounts of at least two Catholic diocese charities for allegedly diverting foreign funds meant for welfare plans to the anti-nuclear protests in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.