Social Media and Mobilization: A Conceptual Model With Special Reference to Kudankulam Nuclear Issue

 

Dr. T. Padmanabhan¹*, Ms. Chinju. S²

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Visual Communication, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology,  Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India.

²Independent Researcher, Holding M.A. Journalism and Mass of Communication from Bharathiar University, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

ABSTRACT:

Youth had exhilarated with internet and more active in social media. It has created online mobilization and engagement in social media platform results knowledge building of various issues. The effect of diverse social setups and wideronline communication elicited people to think sensibly. In modernset-up, with social media milieu having great outreach and larger participation onsocio-political issues, and the campaigners are able to communicate and unite people for various causes and could be done collective action in a short period (PTI, 2013; Niharika and Anjani, 2012). Further, the influence has created wider response among the people about Kudankulam power plant project (KKNPP), it questions safety of the environment and people. The researcher had observed the both pro-KKNPP and anti-KKNPP supporters’ perception and outlined this study. A theoretical approach and quantitative methods built conceptual framework for better understandings.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The kudankulam nuclear power plant is at Kudankulam village, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is a coaster area where people are live there for many decades. On November 20, 1988, Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India and Mikhail Gorbachev, President of Soviet had contracted an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for two nuclear power reactors. The construction work started in March 2002, and Unit-1 finished in 2012, and it has 1000 MW capacity.

 

Moreover, the project expected to produce the maximum of power generation of 9200MW from the overall Units. (Subramanian, 2013; PallavandDiana, 2013; PTI, 2013). S.P.Udayakumar, Leader of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy and who he has directed the anti-KKNPP movement. His perception of power plant project influenced the people those who are standing with him that this project is dangerous and the safety measures are impossible. The understanding of this people that questioning the safety in any event of a natural and nuclear disaster. Different methods of protest strategies have conducted such as fasting, blocking highways, drama and more. It has a severe impact on government promise regarding the safety measures. Besides, the leader S. P. Udayakumar has joined AAP (Aam Aadmi Party – Common Man Party) and contested for Kanyakumari constituency, Tamil Nadu in 2014 Elections. He failed but got attention over the nation (Siddharth, 2011; Transcend International, 2011).

 

BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVES AND REVIEWS:

Tamil Nadu faced terrible power shortage, since 2011, the power cuts took for more than twelve hours in rural Tamil Nadu. It had led some small-scale industries’ associations and political parties to raised protests against power problem.  Thus, it got voices in support of KKNPP by the mass media (Sairam, 2012; Poornima, 2013). When traditional media failed in the phase of people participation, social media has placed as dominant in society, it mirrors the people and opens public space for perceptions and opinions. Moreover, Quarrels became discussions and also take place between the Facebook users (Supriya, 2013; Padmanabhan and Pichandy, 2014). A vast number of pages have formed and available on Facebook regarding  Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Project, including anti, pro-KKNPP pages and groups. And, even they are still active and updating. The pages, which is active in the most consist of 30k followers averagely.

 

The study observed that the organized movement has led to emerge a political party or raise a political leader at the end. Certain political parties had identified as social movement organizers initially, and the influence could be studied in the history that explains the up and downs of political parties and the government. As well, the anti-KKNPP movement leader has joined Aam Aadmi Party, and Kudankulam reveals the antagonism in development. At this juncture, the researcher identified the influence of mobilization on Facebook in Indian. Hence, the present research is intended to study the power of Facebook and Mass mobilization to create a conceptual framework.

 

RELATED LITERATURE, THEORY AND METHODS:

Environmental movement studies were the focus point for the researcher, which has fallen on this research quite natural. The observation from the Mahuya and Mohan (2012) report that thousands of people in Bhopal, India killed by Union Carbide Plant and Thomas (2013) reported that social media has more activist in increased rate and it revealed by G20 protest. As well, Supriya (2013) observed that the anti-POSCO in Orissa urged the government to withdraw the agreement of South Korean Pohang Steel Company (POSCO) about iron ore deal. Takanori and Hamada (2013) reported that the social media helps to create awareness about the nuclear problems. Padmanabhan and Pichandy (2014) studied the KKNPP issue with the public perception by Facebook. The contents of anti-KKNPP, pro-KKNPP supporters on Facebook extracts the actualities concerning the safety of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant. Further, this analysis based on the Resource Mobilization Theory and Political Process. The researcher has adopted an ‘ex-post facto’ factorial research design and sample size of 860 respondents.

 

HYPOTHESIS AND RESULTS:

Facebook has significantly mobilized the mass into Kudankulam nuclear power plantissue enabling political opportunities via its dispensation. The responses towards the KKNPPhas subjected to correlate based on psychometric statements.

 

Table 1 Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue and their nature of participation on Facebook

Sociopolitical issues	Nature of participation on Facebook
	Pearson Correlation	N	Sig. (2-tailed)
Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue	.443**	860	.000

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

 

The table above shows that there is a significant relationship among the respondents who participated in socio-political issues with different strategies online and their perception of the effect of Facebook towards mass mobilization of Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue (r=0.443. Hence, it may be inferred that the nature of participation on socio-political matters is positively correlated on respondents’ perception of the effect of Facebook towards mass mobilization of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue.

 

Table 2 Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue and the respondents’ Facebook gratification

Sociopolitical issues	Facebook gratification
	Pearson Correlation	N	Sig. (2-tailed)
Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue	.517**	860	.000

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

 

The table above shows that there is a significant relationship among the respondents, who have the various Facebook gratification related to social activities and their perception of the effect of Facebook towards mass mobilization of Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue (r=0.517). Hence, it may be inferred that the respondents’ Facebook gratification about socio-political issues is positively correlated with respondents’ perception of the effect of Facebook towards mass mobilization of Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue.

 

Conceptual framework and Conclusion:

 

 

 

Figure.1

 

 

Figure.1 clarifies the environment movement structure and the way it formed and the political impact. The first stage, where the protest has emerged by S.P.Udhayakumar with various tactics and to oppose the nuclear power plant panel at the Idinthakarai Village. The second stage, where the anti-KKNPP protest had gained specific population support and that of the entire villages near Kudankulam. The third stage, the government failed in the compromise with the organization, even though it could endorse on its plan. Later, Facebook mobilized the mass to build more awareness to support protest vis-à-vis against the protest. The issue has brought to light the problem of development vis-à-vis the lives of marginalized people. According to McAdam, McCarthy and Zald (1996) observation on resource mobilization approach and political process theory had a significant relationship with the present study. Moreover, the results of the process of mobilization on this issue had outlined opportunities in politics. Notably, the protest has not succeeded, but the people’s movement became popular and molded public opinion and history made.

 

REFERENCE

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4.     Pallav, B., and Diana, G. (2013). Kudankulam nuclear plant to start soon after it gets all mandated approvals. Retrieved from NDTV: http://www.ndtv.com/article/south/kudankulam-nuclear-plant-to-start-soon-after-it-gets-all-mandated-approvals-390956

5.     Poornima, M. (2013). Tamil Nadu stares at long power cuts, opposition targets Jajyalalithaa. Retrieved from IBN: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/tamil-nadu-stares-at-long-power-cuts-opposition-targets-jajyalalithaa/437278-37-64.html

6.     PTI. (2013). Commercial operation of Kudankulam plant delayed further. Retrieved from Business Standard: http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/commercial-operation-of-kudankulam-plant-delayed-further-113011300023_1.html

7.     Sairam, R. (2012). Power shortage posing big problems for small industries. Retrieved from The Hindu: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/power-shortage-posing-big-problems-for-small-industries/article3925725.ece

8.     Siddharth, S. (2011). India’s Rising Nuclear Safety Concerns. Retrieved from Asia Sentinel: http://www.asiasentinel.com/blog/indias-rising-nuclear-safety-concerns/

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10.   Takanori, T., and Hamada, T. (2013). Who has the right to speak? The role of social media in spreading dissent among anti-nuclear groups in post 3-11Japan. Denver, USA: Internet Research.

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12.   Transcend International. (2011). Transcend Media Service. Retrieved from https://www.transcend. org, http://www. transcend.org/tms/2011/08/thirteen-reasons-why-we-do-not-want-the-koodankulam-nuclear-power-project/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Received on 24.10.2017       Modified on 08.12.2017

Accepted on 21.01.2018      ©A&V Publications All right reserved