Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Sufferers, awarded: On the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

​Sufferers, awarded: On the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace for the selfless Nihon Hidankyo should help stir debates on nuclear disarmament (निरस्त्रीकरण)

Seventy-nine years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were subject to unprecedented devastation (विनाश) following the U.S.’s act of dropping atomic bombs on these cities, Nihon Hidankyo, the organisation that worked for the welfare of the survivors — called the hibakusha — and steadfastly (दृढ़, अटल) sought to build consensus on the need for the abolition of nuclear weapons, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024. Today, there are barely more than a lakh survivors of the bombings, with the average age of the hibakusha more than 86 years. An estimated 1.5 lakh people died due to the bombings, and many more later due to the after-effects of the exposure to radioactivity. The horrors of the atomic bombings and the inaction by the post-war government, largely due to U.S. censorship (प्रतिबंध, सेंसरशिप) of news of the suffering of the hibakusha, crystallised in the formation of the Hidankyo which lobbied and agitated for medical and welfare benefits to the hibakusha and took a steadfast position against atomic weapons. This is emphasised in their slogan, “no more hibakusha”. Besides their activism in Japan, the Hidankyo also went on tours to several countries, including India, to share their suffering and sensitise the world to the horrors of the use of atomic weapons. The Nobel Committee must be commended (प्रशंसा करना) for recognising the Hidankyo, whose activism as some scholars aver, helped shift the political discourse (प्रवचन, संवाद) in Japan towards greater democracy and justice and sensitise the public to the doctrine of pacifism, which was incorporated into Japan’s Constitution after its defeat in the Second World War.

Yet, despite the activism of anti-war organisations and social movements — in these the selflessness of the Hidankyo and the fact that they were the direct sufferers of the use of atomic weapons stand out — nuclear states continue to deploy weapons in their arsenal and use them for sabre-rattling. A case in point is Russia’s recent and unambiguous (स्पष्ट, असंदिग्ध) statement that it will not hesitate to use its nuclear weapons to retaliate against a conventional attack and its use of this threat to brazenly (निर्लज्ज, धृष्ट, बेशर्म) prolong its invasion of Ukraine. There is also the fact that countries such as Israel have surreptitiously (चुपके से, गुप्त रूप से) acquired nuclear weapons, leading to a nuclear arms race in volatile regions such as West Asia. Existing mechanisms for nuclear non-proliferation also seem to be vitiated by geopolitics even as the nuclear powers have shown little appetite (भूख, लालसा) for serious disarmament. Against such a sad reality, the recognition for the Hidankyo, whose hibakusha members are in the evening of their lives, should at least remind the world yet again about the horrors of atomic bomb attacks and stir (To provoke or cause movement or emotion) a debate on meaningful nuclear disarmament.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Disarmament (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - निरस्त्रीकरण
English Meaning - The act of reducing or withdrawing military forces and weapons.

2.Devastation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विनाश
English Meaning - Great destruction or damage.

3.Steadfast (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दृढ़, अटल
English Meaning - Firm and unwavering in purpose or loyalty.

4.Censorship (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबंध, सेंसरशिप
English Meaning - The suppression or prohibition of speech or writing that is considered harmful or sensitive.

5.Commend (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशंसा करना
English Meaning - To praise or express approval of.

6.Discourse (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवचन, संवाद
English Meaning - Written or spoken communication or debate.

7.Unambiguous (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट, असंदिग्ध
English Meaning - Clear and not open to more than one interpretation.

8.Surreptitiously (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - चुपके से, गुप्त रूप से
English Meaning - Done in a secretive way to avoid notice.

9.Brazen (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्लज्ज, धृष्ट, बेशर्म
English Meaning - Bold and without shame.

10.Proliferation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - तीव्र वृद्धि, प्रसार
English Meaning - Rapid increase in numbers.

11.Appetite (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - भूख, लालसा
English Meaning - A natural desire to satisfy a need, typically for food.

12.Stir (Verb)

English Meaning - To provoke or cause movement or emotion.