Could the powerful force us to live subterranean if they wanted?

James Follett's Radio Play "Mindwarp", also exists as a book, is based on something very similar.

Set in the far future, when the sub-terrainian testing of nuclear and fusion bombs has left vast caverns and the radioactivity has decreased enough. The sun becomes unstable, the government tricks the people into evacuating into these caverns for their own safety, and seals them up inside.

Those who are clever and capable enough find their way out, and join their contempories living on the surface and eventually departing on space ships in search of another planet with a stable sun. The rest, are condemned to live in the caverns for all eternity, living strictly regimented lives.

Its actually one of my favourite books of all time.