Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 10:24:34 +1200 From: Ravi Arvind Palat Reply-To: r.palat@auckland.ac.nz To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: [Fwd: Observance of Hirsoshima Day] This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------729E3E2BC52AF4E98896ADDF --------------729E3E2BC52AF4E98896ADDF ([130.216.191.4]) by edunov2.auckland.ac.nz; Sat, 08 Aug 1998 07:13:08 +1200 From: "S. P. Udayakumar" To: BJPGovtWatch@maroon.tc.umn.edu Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 14:20:16 +0000 X-Distribution: Moderate Subject: Observance of Hirsoshima Day Reply-to: S P Udayakumar Here are reports of the observance of Hiroshima Day in different=20 parts of India released by India News Network(INN) Calcutta In one of the biggest anti-nuclear demonstration held anywhere in the world, over 400,000 people marched along the streets of Calcutta to register the impassioned protest of the masses against the policy of nuclear weaponisation adopted by the BJP-led government. The march which lasted for more than three hours was convened at the call of 66 mass organisations and of the `6th August Committee' which had been set up earlier in July this year to coordinate the hundreds of organisations which came forward to take part in the march. The procession was interspersed with a variety of tableaux which depicted the terrible fall-out of nuclear explosions. Some portrayed the horrors that continue to haunt the world in the wake of the nuclear attacks by the US in 1945 two small cities of Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The paintings also reflected the angry mood of the democratic-minded people of Bengal at the reckless nuclear policy resorted to by the BJP-led government. Various scientific research organisations presented models of the kind of all-pervasive pollution that affects humanity even when comparatively 'smaller' nuclear devices are exploded, wheth*er above the ground, below the ground, or under water. Carcino*genic disease=20 proliferates, babies are born with deformities. Genetic structures undergo horrible mutations. The green of the earth continues to die long after nuclear 'experiments' are gone through. The atmospheric conditions develop unpredictable changes with natural disasters rapidly increasing. The procession also included bands of tribal people from most of the twelve districts of south Bengal from where massive proces*sions came to Calcutta from very early in the morning of 6th August. In their own, unique manner, the tribal song-and-dance ensembles voiced their protest against all kinds nuclear 'experi*ments' that would ultimately harm the green earth and the people who inhabited it. The variety of the performances and the colour*ful costumes and masks that they wore attracted a lot of atten*tion. Slogans were raised from the procession against nuclear explo*sions. The refrain was the loudest when the slogan 'No more Hiroshima; Nagasaki No more' rang out from time-to-time. The entire proceedings were covered by the NHK national television network of Japan. The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not able to attend the Calcutta rally but they sent their best wishes for the success of the programme to the mayor of Calcutta. The procession that started from the Netaji Indoor stadium and from several other points of the city traversed central Calcutta, criss-crossing the main thoroughfares many times before ending in a huge rally at the Park Circus maidan. Songs, dances, mimed-plays, street-theatre, recitations, on-the-spot paintings marked the progress of the marchers. Just before the beginning of the march, a convention was held in the packed-to-capacity Netaji Indoor stadium. The convention was addressed, among others, by the writer Sunil Gangopadhyay, the poet Sankho Ghosh, the film director Mrinal Sen and others. New Delhi Shouting slogans and carrying placards proclaiming We Want Bread Not Bombs, No More Pokhrans, No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasa*kis and No Weaponisation, No Deployment, thousands of people including a large contingent of schoolchildren wound their way from behind the Red Fort through the main streets of Old Delhi in an impressive Citizens March Against Nuclear Weapons today. The march was to commemorate August 6, 1945 when the first atom bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima killing and maiming tens of thousands of innocent people. The march was to arouse the Indian people against the dangerous nuclear policy of the BJP-led gov*ernment which conducted nuclear weapons tests on May 11 and 13, which were followed by the Pakistani tests two weeks later. The march culminated at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds where a resolution was read out in Hindi and English by veteran Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande and historian Romila Thapar. Prominent person*alities from different walks of life participated in the march including CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, CPI(M) polit bureau member Prakash Karat, writer Arundhati Roy, social scientist Rajni Kothari, journalist Kuldip Nayyar, actor Raj Babbar and Janata Dal leader Surendra Mohan. Artists, acaedemics, writers, college and school students, workers, and activists of mass organisations came out in full force to lend their voice against the nuclear madness that threatens to envelop the subcontinent. The resolution adopted at the rally noted that the tests carried out in May 1998 and the consequent provocative rhetoric of the BJP leaders "have only heightened tensions in the region, wor*sened relations with our neighbours and undermined popular initiatives aimed at forging peace among the people of the re*gion." It said, "Both India and Pakistan now have the capability to perpetrate the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on each other, not once but many times. Therefore, the need to remember August 6 Hiroshima Day is particularly important this year. The people of India and Pakistan must stop this madness which trheatens us with mutual annihilation." Regarding the significance of today's Citizen's March, the reso*lution noted: "This march conveys to the rulers of this country that the people do not want nuclear weapons and calls for a halt to the BJP led Government's weaponisation programme and its deployment. This march also conveys that India must return to a path of peace and disarmament. India, which always called for nuclear disarmament and did not with to be a party to a discrimi*natory global nuclear regime, is now seen to be only demanding to join the Nuclear Weapons Club. The attempt by the present govern*ment to join the nuclear club must be condemned as it is against all that this country has stood for." The resolution also asserted that India must continue to vigor*ously campaign to dismantle the global discriminatory nuclear regime and initiate moves towards global nuclear disarmament. The nuclear weapons powers, despite all their pious pronouncements about dismantling their arsenals, have made only marginal efforts to do so. Pointing out that their imposition of sanctions against India and Pakistan is hypocritical, the resolution said if they are serious about non-proliferaytion, they must pursue a credible programme for destruction of nuclear weapons globally, starting with their own. It added, "In order to resume India's due role, India must return to the global nuclear disaramament agenda and stop any further measures towards induction and deployment of nuclear weapons. Pakistan too must reciprocate with matching measures." Marches, meetings all over India As per preliminary reports available with INN, meetings and marches took place in different parts of the country to commemo*rate Hiroshima Day and mobilise the people against the horrors of nuclear war and against the dangerous nuclearisation carried out by the BJP-led government. Chennai Inspiring Human Chain Against Nuclear Weapons in Chennai (A.V. Balu) Following the highly successful Convention Against Nuclear Wea*pons on July 26 at Chennai (reported elsewhere in this issue), Hiroshima Day was observed on August 6 at Chennai in a most inspiring manner. A Committee Against Nuclear Weapons, consisting of many mass organisations including trade unions and organisations of stud*ents, women and youth, had been formed recently to observe Hir*oshima Day. The Committee called for a massive Human Chain start*ing from Parry's Corner - a key gathering point near the city's central bus terminus - to the Central Railway station, a distance of nearly three kilometres, on the evening of August 6, 1998. The popular response surpassed the most optimistic expectations of the organisers. From 5 to 6 pm in the evening on August 6 more than 5000 people lined up along the entire route from Parry's Corner to Central station. The composition of the crowd was as interesting as its size was impressive. There were at least two to three hundred children, a sizeable contingent of women and a not insignificant number of senior citizens including some who could vividly remember the Hiroshima-Nagasaki horrors. Many prominent personalities took part in the Human Chain. They included Dr.C.T.Kurien, the eminent economist, Ms. Rajam Krish*nan, an award winning and sensitive Tamil novelist, popular film director Shekhar, Com Vimal Ranadive, President of the All India Coordination Committee of Working Women, well known lawyers N.T.Vanamamalai , N.G.R. Prasad and Vaigai, Abbas Ibrahim, Con*venor of the TNCC(I)'s minority cell, Com N.M. Sundaram, General Secretary, All Indian Insurance Employees' Association, leading academics from the University of Madras, the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, the IIT, and several other institutions, Com. T.S. Rangarajan, General Secretary of the Indian Oil Em*ployees' Union, Ms. Meena Krishnaswamy, freedom fighter, Dr.P. Chandra, well known paediatrician, Senthilnathan, President, Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers' Association, and several others. #The participants at the Human Chain took a pledge, dedicating themselves to: * the struggle against the process of nuclear weaponisation that has begun in India and Pakistan * the movement against forces which promote war mongering and divide people * all struggles and movements to eliminate nuclear weapons from the face of the earth and * the creation of a world of peace, equality & fraternity, a world without nuclear weapons. The Committee to observe Hiroshima Day and its convenors Comrades K.N. Gopalakrishnan, Jagan and A.Rangarajan - deserve to be congratulated for their successful initiative. The momentum must be seized upon, and the movement to roll back nuclear weaponisation should gather speed and strength in the period ahead. The broadest possible unity needs to be forged. Mumbai More than 2000 demonstrators took part in the Silent Procession from Azad Maidan to Hutatma Chowk on the occasion of Hiroshima Day. The programmes was organised by a broad "Citizens Committee for Commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki". More than 50 orgnisations including the Left parties, Left trade unions, Gandhians, progressive women's organisations, artists, intellectuals, envi*ronmentalists, civil liberties organisations, students and youth organisations and many voluntary organisations had constituted this Committee along with a large number of well known individuals from all walks of life. Despite the artificial "riots scare" created by the SS-BJP gov*ernment in the context of the publication of Srikrishna Commis*sion Report on the same day, there was a big turn out at Azad Maidan. College students along with a large number of profession*als like lawyers, scientists, artists, writers, teachers, doc*tors, journalists, etc. attending each wearing a white ribbon as symbol of solidarity with the Hiroshima victims and protest against the nuclear arms race. On behalf of CPI(M) state leaders Ahilya Rangnekar, K.L. Bajaj, Mahendra Singh, Saeed Ahmed attend*ed. A large number of children also participated. One child was carrying a placard "I want to Grow Up - Not Blow Up." Though the procession was silent, the demonstrators carried placards and banners with slogans for peace, disarmament and development protesting the arms race and criticising the BJP government for its nuclear war mongering on the one hand and abject surrender to US imperialism on the other. When the silent procession began at around 3.30 pm, demonstrators were still arriving in large numbers, but due to police insistence to keep the schedule the procession commenced and made its way impressively to Hutatma Chowk. At Hutatma Chowk a pledge was administered in Hindi by retired High Court Justice Dharmadhikari and followed by the same pledge in English read out by a Japanese nun. The meeting ended with songs. In addition to this Peace March, many local programes were held in different parts of Mumbai on the morning of 6th August itself. Tomorrow i.e. August 7, there will be "Peace Together Music Festival" at Andheri Sports Complex which is expected to be attended by 15,000 students organised by the Indian Peoples Media Collective in co-operation with St. Andrew's College, Bandra and a number of other colleges. Public meetings organised by Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal on August 6th evening and a "Citizens" Committee public meeting on 13.8.98 are notable activities during this week. A large number of meetings and lectures in colleges, along with showing of educational films like "Prophecy" are also taking place involving several thousands of students and the members of the public. It is evident that the movement for peace and disar*mament has taken healthy roots in the city of Mumbai. At the call of CPI(M) Maharashtra State Committee, meetings and marches were also held in all districts and many taluka towns of the state on the occasion of Hiroshima Day. The CPI(M) Mumbai Committee and CITU had jointly issued a pam*phlet and brought out a special badge on the occasion. Tripura Thousands of people in the state capital Agartala and in the North Tripura headquarter, Kailashar marched the streets on August 6=20 afternoon to assert the predominance of peace and amity over the forces of fissiparousness and warmongering on earth, marking the occasion of Hiroshima Day in Tripura. Similar programme is slated for August 10 at the South Tripura headquarter, Udaipur. Agartala city turned into a city of processions right from midday, with people from all walks of life heading to the Umakan*ta Maidan carrying the banners of their respective associations, organisations and institutions. Students and youths, workers and employees, intellectuals and cultural activists submerged all the difference of age, gender, castes, creeds, cultures and political affiliations in a massive urge to form a human barricade against warmongering, to defend civilization against a barbaric nuclear frenzy whipped up by neo-fascist politicians to gain some narrow political ends. The scorching rays of the sun could not deter the thousands of peace activists from articulating their determina*tion and dauntlessness through songs and slogans and spirited steps, carrying banners and festoons, posters and placards. There were also tableaus at the end of the long procession, artistical*ly denouncing war and demanding the bare necessities of life. The main procession originating from Umakanta Maidan was preceded by a brief function consisting of revolutionary songs and invoca*tory addresses. Among the speakers were the Information and Cultural Affairs minister, Jitendra Choudhury, and Education minister, Anil Sarkar. Jitendra Choudhury put up before the huge rally of peace activists the proposal for peace and amity. Anil Sarkar in his address outlined the historic significance of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Day under the existing national and international context.=20 He lashed out at the BJP-led government at the Centre for giving up=20 the decades-old tradition of the country as the protagonist of peace, by detonating the experimental nuclear bomb at Pokhran, triggering a senseless war hysteria in the sub-continent and causing ostrasication of the country in the international arena. He exposed the diversionary tactics of this neo-fascist government at the centre having no inclination to solve the burning problems of its people, and laying the blame for all its ills on the minorities and the socialists through a paranoid antagonism towards Pakistan and China.=20 The peace-loving people of the country, including those of Tripura, will foil this anti-people and anti-civilization moves of the government, he declared with deep confidence. The procession ended at Sukanta Academy Complex of Agartala. Patna In Patna, a procession was taken out from Gandhi Maidan in protest against nuclear weapons. Lucknow A meeting was held at the Ganga Prasad Memorial Hall in Lucknow which was presided over by K.N. Kakkar, well known literary personality. The meeting was addressed by CPI(M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury, socialist leader Raghu Thakur, enviorn*mental activist medha Patkar, and IIT professor, Prof. A.P. Shukla. Thiruvananthapuram In Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state, a three hour long programme from 10.30 am was held at the Martyrs Memorial at Palayam attended by thousands of people. The programme included songs, skits, speeches and exhibitions against nuclear weapons. The programme was organised by the A.K. Gopalan Study Research Centre. Posters, placards and banners condemning the use of nuclear weapons were put up all over the city. The programme began with a speech by Jubha Ramakrishna Pillai, the oldest surviving freedom fighter in Kerala. Students of the Model High School held up a huge banner with the words "We Share the Sorrow of Hiroshima". Well known historian K.N. Panniker released a poster with the words in Malayalam meaning ---"Resist the Bomb -- Or There Will be No Tomorrow." --------------729E3E2BC52AF4E98896ADDF begin: vcard fn: Ravi Palat n: Palat;Ravi org: Dept. of Sociology, Univ. of Auckland email;internet: r.palat@auckland.ac.nz note;quoted-printable:Private Bag 92019=0D=0A= Auckland, NEW ZEALAND=0D=0A= Phone:+64-9-373-7599,ext.5313=0D=0A= FAX:+64-9-373-7439 x-mozilla-cpt: ;0 x-mozilla-html: FALSE version: 2.1 end: vcard --------------729E3E2BC52AF4E98896ADDF--