Ediorial: Fitting gesture amid global conflict

The voices of the Hibakusha and their truth that human beings and nuclear weapons cannot coexist will now ring out more powerfully

At a time when global conflicts are on the rise, inflicting enormous human suffering, choosing Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese atomic bomb survivors’ group, for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is a fitting tribute to the efforts to make the world free of nuclear weapons. The gesture also comes as a grim reminder that the spectre of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still looms over humanity. The danger of nuclear conflagration is real, going by the way the situation in the Middle East is fast slipping out of control and the Russia-Ukraine war showing no signs of abating. By awarding the Peace Prize to Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors tirelessly engaged in raising public awareness about the catastrophic impact of nuclear weapons, the Nobel Committee has sent a powerful message, reminding the world of its duty to protect future generations from the horrors of nuclear war. Since its founding in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo, which preserves testimonies and memories of the only two nuclear weapon attacks in human history, has focused on three core demands: preventing nuclear war, eliminating nuclear weapons and obtaining essential medical care for atomic bomb victims. In a world ridden with conflicts, where nuclear weapons are an integral part, there is a need to send the right message, highlighting the importance of strengthening the nuclear taboo. The devastation at Nagasaki and Hiroshima and of the Holocaust were the twin horrors that proved humanity’s ability to perpetrate the worst suffering on itself.

With the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, the voices of the Hibakusha (survivors), their tortured testimonies, and their truth that human beings and nuclear weapons cannot coexist will now ring out more powerfully around the world. Despite physical suffering and painful memories, Nihon Hidankyo has chosen to use their experience to cultivate hope and engagement for peace. The organisation provided thousands of witness accounts, issued resolutions and public appeals, and sent annual delegations to the United Nations and a variety of peace conferences to ‘remind the world of the pressing need for nuclear disarmament’. Ironically, the Peace Prize for a nuclear disarmament group comes against the backdrop of many nuclear powers modernising and upgrading their arsenals. There seems to be a clamour among the countries to acquire nuclear weapons and threats are being made to use them in ongoing warfare. While the dialogue between the United States and Russia on nuclear arms control has virtually come to a halt in recent years, the use of nuclear blackmail has spiralled in other parts of the world. In the present conflict-ridden world, it is worth reminding ourselves that nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons the world has ever seen. Next year will mark the completion of 80 years since two American atomic bombs killed an estimated 1.20 lakh inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An equal number died of radiation injuries in the following years.