This was my first experience. The tremors were mild in Chennai. I was in the middle of recording couple of book reviews for Makkal TV.

I was in Chennai during the 2004 Tsunami and didn't feel any tremors then. I do remember vividly the panicked crowd running on foot and in autos carrying all their valuable belongings. Yesterday was in the middle of work. Almost everyone in the office wanted to leave immediately as they felt the traffic will pile up, little knowing that they will be only adding to the chaos. Only three or four of us stayed on till 6.30 PM.

The talk now is centered on Kalpakkam and Kudangulam atomic power plants and their safety. Tamil Nadu is not in a heavy seismic zone. The tremors we felt yesterday were insignificant. In fact, Tamil Nadu didn't even feel anything of this kind during the Maharashtra, Gujarat and Pakistan earthquakes in the last two decades in which thousands of people had died

I can understand opposition to nuclear plants on the basis of strong principles. To base it on such weak arguments as lack of safety under mild tremors is ridiculous. But I guess it is futile to discuss these things as neither party is willing to listen to reasoned arguments.