Need for persistent united movement for abolition of nuclear weapons
Author(s): City Air NewsLudhiana-based Dr Arun Mitra, Co-President IPPNW at the International Antinuclear Conference at Kazakhstan. Ludhiana, September 24, 2019: Kazakhstan had to bear maximum brunt of the nuclear detonations. In all 456...
cityairnews
Sep 24, 2019 04:30
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Ludhiana-based Dr Arun Mitra, Co-President IPPNW at the International Antinuclear Conference at Kazakhstan.
Ludhiana, September 24, 2019: Kazakhstan had to bear maximum brunt of the nuclear detonations. In all 456 (340 underground and 116 aboveground) nuclear tests were conducted in Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan since 1949. These had serious health and environmental impact on the population. People of the area started anti-nuclear movement under the leadership of a leading poet of the country Suleimenov Olzhas demanding ban on these tests. Ultimately they succeeded and the tests were banned in 1989 and the area was closed in 1991. This movement has been known as International Anti-Nuclear Movement Neveda Semey.
A commemorative conference was held at Astana which related the movement to the present day context. Ludhiana-based Dr Arun Mitra, Co-President IPPNW was invited to address the inaugural plenary session. While upholding the success story of the Neveda Semey movement he called upon all the anti-nuclear movements worldwide to unite for complete abolition of nuclear weapons. It is imperative, he said, that all nuclear weapons possessing countries join the Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) which was passed by the UN General Assembly with 122 votes in favour and only one vote against on 7th July 2017. He cautioned that this opportunity should not be missed. There are several low level conflict zones at present around the globe. These conflicts can escalate into larger wars where use of nuclear weapons may not be ruled out. South Asia is a serious conflict zone. There is constant nuclear rhetoric against each other by Pakistan and India. Any nuclear exchange between the two would put two billion people at risk globally.
Dr Arun Mitra was awarded Nevada-Semey Movement’s 30th anniversary medal.
The conference was addressed by representative from UNESCO, Minister of Culture & Sports Kazakhstan and speakers from Germany, Italy, India, Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan, China, Japan and France. In addition there were several presentations by Kazakh delegates.
