80 Years of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

80 Years of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Call for sustainable Peace

Siby K. Joseph

The 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a solemn occasion for remembrance, reflection, and calls for nuclear disarmament and peace. These episodes, which occurred in 1945, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and left a lasting impact on Japan and the whole world.

It is significant that we are observing this anniversary in the midst of ongoing global conflicts and tensions. The Russia-Ukraine war, the deadly conflict in Gaza, and the civil war in Sudan are stark reminders of the human cost of war. Tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Iran and Israel, highlight the fragility of peace.

The prevailing situation underscores the urgent need for working vigorously for the total elimination of nuclear weapons from the planet earth. Therefore, the campaign for nuclear disarmament, whether from India or other parts of the globe, assumes significance.

The Turning Point in Warfare

The use of the atomic bomb for the first time in human history marked a turning point in warfare. It exposed a brutal reality that transcends traditional laws of war. It only heightened the need for pursuing the path of nonviolence for settling disputes and conflict.

Gandhi’s Words on the Atom Bomb

Reflecting on the atom bomb and ahimsa, Mahatma Gandhi wrote:

“… the atomic bomb has deadened the finest feeling that has sustained mankind for ages. There used to be the so-called laws of war which made it tolerable. Now we know the naked truth. War knows no law except that of might. The atom bomb brought an empty victory to the allied arms but it resulted for the time being in destroying the soul of Japan. … Let no one run away with the idea that I wish to put in a defence of Japanese misdeeds in pursuance of Japan’s unworthy ambition. The difference was only one of degree. I assume that Japan’s greed was more unworthy. But the greater unworthiness conferred no right on the less unworthy of destroying without mercy men, women and children of Japan in a particular area. The moral to be legitimately drawn from the supreme tragedy of the bomb is that it will not be destroyed by counter-bombs even as violence cannot be by counter-violence. Mankind has to get out of violence only through non-violence. Hatred can be overcome only by love. Counter-hatred only increases the surface as well as the depth of hatred.”

Gandhi’s plea for humanity was to choose a different path — one founded on truth, non-violence, and compassion, rather than violence, hatred, and destruction.

He believed that true strength lies in the power of non-violence — a potent force rooted in truth, capable of overcoming even the greatest calamity.

I am addressing all of you from Sevagram Ashram, Gandhi’s laboratory of nonviolence. We call upon one and all to embrace non-violence as a guiding principle for resolving conflicts and building a peaceful and just world. Let us draw on the lessons learned from the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

UNESCO’s Wisdom: Peace Begins in the Mind

The preamble of the Constitution of UNESCO, adopted on November 16, 1945, was written by poet Archibald MacLeish. He wrote:

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed,”

and

“Ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war.”

The preamble emphasizes that lasting peace must be built in the minds of people by fostering education, cultural awareness, and mutual understanding.

It suggests that ignorance and mistrust, often stemming from a lack of knowledge about other cultures, are key drivers of conflict.

Therefore, on Hiroshima Day, peace-loving individuals should prioritize raising awareness about the need for eliminating nuclear weapons. Embracing cultural diversity, mutual respect, and understanding can help prevent future conflicts and wars.

Japan’s Commitment to a Nuclear-Free World

At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park ceremony on August 6, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru reiterated Japan’s commitment to a world without nuclear weapons.

He said there are now fewer than one lakh atomic bomb survivors left alive. Honouring the hibakushas (bomb survivors) is befitting on the occasion of the 80th anniversary.

The average age of the hibakusha is now 86, and they were almost all children when they experienced the calamity in their cities.

It is worth noting that in 2024, Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors, won the Nobel Peace Prize for their dedicated efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

The Cranes of Memory: From Remembrance to Action

The Cranes of Memory is a global campaign to honour the hibakushas. Their voices and experiences serve as a living reminder of the physical and psychological scars of the attacks.

It calls us to action to ensure these horrors are never repeated. With one of their stories in our heart, we can fold a paper crane.

As we fold, take a moment to reflect and introspect. On one wing, write the survivor’s name or a message of hope. This is more than folding paper — it’s an expression of commitment to a nuclear-free world.

Let us promote this activity in our educational institutions, especially among children. Women and children are the worst victims of violence in war.

That is why the United Nations declared the first ten years of the third millennium as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World.

Even in ongoing conflicts, children and women continue to suffer.

Children’s Right to Peace

Children have a right to peace. It is the duty and responsibility of all to ensure it.

It is estimated that more than 38,000 children were killed in the US nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago.

Nuclear bomb survivor and disarmament advocate Setsuko Thurlow recalled:

“In the centre of [Hiroshima] were some 8,400 students from grades seven and eight who had been mobilised from all the high schools in the city to help clear fire lanes … nearly all of them were incinerated and were vaporised without a trace, and more died within days. In this way, my age group in the city was almost wiped out.”

Susan Southard, author of Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War, wrote:

“A mother cradled her headless infant and wailed … Tiny, barefoot children squatted in the ruins or wandered past corpses, calling out for their mothers and fathers. One woman whose husband had died, and who would soon lose her four daughters and four-year-old son, came to understand that when one of her children stopped asking for water, it meant that she or he had died.”

These horrors the hibakushas can never forget.

The Children’s Peace Memorial, established by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), honours the memories of thousands of children killed in the bombings. It features profiles of 431 children, ensuring their memories are not forgotten.

By sharing these stories, the memorial awakens people to the grave and growing threat posed by nuclear weapons.

Peace is needed not only for children but also for young and old. But the emphasis on children offers hope for humanity.

Archives and Peace Fellowships

We have created an archive of pictures and other documents on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This will be shared among educational institutions to create awareness and inspire sustainable peace.

The certification and declaration of peace fellows of the International Fellowship Programme on Nonviolence and Peace (2024-25) coincides with the 80th anniversary.

This programme was initiated by Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan in partnership with Gandhi International (France), AUNOHR in Lebanon, MGM University in India, the International Centre for Non-violence at Durban University of Technology, and Portland Community College in the USA.

It aims to empower peace-loving citizens across the globe with a deep understanding of nonviolence and its application in life.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons opened for signature at the United Nations in New York on 20 September 2017. It entered into force on 22 January 2021.

There are currently 94 signatories and 73 states parties.

On Hiroshima Day 2024, we focused on the treaty and the surge in global nuclear spending. I reiterate that the Indian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament must pursue the Indian government to sign and ratify the TPNW.

The commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should be an opportunity for reflection and immediate action — to stop the madness of war and the stockpiling of nuclear weapons in the name of outdated deterrence theory.

This is a revised version of the address delivered by the author in a virtual meeting organised by the “Indian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament” (ICND) to observe “Hiroshima & Nagasaki Day” on 6th August, 2025.

About the Author

Dr. Siby Kollappallil Joseph is the Director of the prestigious International Fellowship Programme on Nonviolence and Peace. He also directs the activities of the Library and Research Centre for Gandhian Studies at Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha, Maharashtra. He is one of the founding members of the Gandhi Global Network and is closely associated with Gandhi International France. For over two decades, he has been engaged in Study ,Research and training young individuals globally and locally in Gandhi’s principles, peace, and nonviolence.He is the author and editor of number of books on Gandhian Thought and Peace Studies.

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