74th Hiroshima Day observed
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 06 2019:
The 74th Hiroshima Day was observed at Manipur Press Club today, under the aegis of the Indo-Japan Friendship Association (IJFA) .
The event was attended by Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) Mayor L Lokeshwar and IJFA president Ph Nandakumar as the chief guest and president respectively.
As part of the observation, the message of peace laid down by the Mayor of Hiroshima was relayed and a two minute silence was observed in honour of the people who died in the atomic blast at Hiroshima.
Speaking at the event, IJFA president Ph Nandakumar said that 74 years ago, on this day, an atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima city and it has been regarded as the most destructive event in the history of the world.
The climate of the earth keeps changing for the worse and at the same time, many countries are also not stopping in their race to become nuclear powers.
Nuclear weapons are a grave threat to the existence of life itself and the observation has been held to spread the message of peace and unity and to make the world free of nuclear weapons, he added.
Nandakumar continued that it is important for all to know and understand how Hiroshima, after it was reduced to ashes and rubbles, rose and became developed and stressed on the importance of having a spirit like the people of Hiroshima among the people of Manipur as well.
He conveyed that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan, Kyoto city adopted his home, Banaras, as a sister city.
Similarly, the Mayor of Hiroshima is making preparations to adopt Imphal as the sister city.
A female student of Japanese language at Manipur University, is currently undergoing training related to peace, at Hiroshima University, under the sponsorship of the Mayor, he added.
Winners and participants of a painting competition which was organised last year as a part of the same event under the theme 'Peaceful Towns', were felicitated during the event today.