7 July 2017 was a memorable day. First of all it was a day when two stars, deeply in love with each other, met, as they used to do once on this day every year. Children all over the country wrote down their wishes on a piece of paper and hung them on a bamboo tree.
Secondly, it marked the 80th anniversary of the beginning of Japan's war with China, in 1937, which developed into a war with the USA and Britain after four years, ending on 15 August 1945. The latter war itself was the outcome of China's strong resilience against Japan. But on this, some other time.
Finally, on this day, the UN passed a new Treaty. It banned the use or threat of nuclear weapons, their experiments, production, or transfer. It is comprehensive. It is the first such ban on the nuclear weapons, an international law, and the fruit of the long-time endeavour of countless number of people across the globe for this purpose. They include many of the survivors in Japan of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 'hibakusha', and the Preamble of the Treaty explicitly refers to the pains they have endured so far.
The idea and the draft of this law has been discussed during March, and then June to July, in the UN according to the resolution passed by the General Assembly in December the last. It does not bind all the member countries. Out of 124 countries, however, who participated in the Conference, 122 said yes to the final draft. The civil society in general all over the world, and particularly many NGOs representing it, have been largely behind this overwhelming stream toward banning the nuclear weapons.
As expected, all the Five nuclear powers did not join this stream. Quite regrettably, the Japanese Government was also absent. Some one has put a paper crane, symbolizing peace, in the seat of the Japanese representative, to a great discredit of our Government. They say that it is of not much use to be at such a meeting because it would not narrow the distance between the big Five and the many. Which is a poor excuse for not doing anything meaningful for the cause of the nuclear-free world.
Secondly, it marked the 80th anniversary of the beginning of Japan's war with China, in 1937, which developed into a war with the USA and Britain after four years, ending on 15 August 1945. The latter war itself was the outcome of China's strong resilience against Japan. But on this, some other time.
Finally, on this day, the UN passed a new Treaty. It banned the use or threat of nuclear weapons, their experiments, production, or transfer. It is comprehensive. It is the first such ban on the nuclear weapons, an international law, and the fruit of the long-time endeavour of countless number of people across the globe for this purpose. They include many of the survivors in Japan of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 'hibakusha', and the Preamble of the Treaty explicitly refers to the pains they have endured so far.
The idea and the draft of this law has been discussed during March, and then June to July, in the UN according to the resolution passed by the General Assembly in December the last. It does not bind all the member countries. Out of 124 countries, however, who participated in the Conference, 122 said yes to the final draft. The civil society in general all over the world, and particularly many NGOs representing it, have been largely behind this overwhelming stream toward banning the nuclear weapons.
As expected, all the Five nuclear powers did not join this stream. Quite regrettably, the Japanese Government was also absent. Some one has put a paper crane, symbolizing peace, in the seat of the Japanese representative, to a great discredit of our Government. They say that it is of not much use to be at such a meeting because it would not narrow the distance between the big Five and the many. Which is a poor excuse for not doing anything meaningful for the cause of the nuclear-free world.
