Port of Call LAST UPDATE November 11, 2008
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October 2, 2008 Kochi, India – Historic Kochi points to a brave future
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Former street children of the Born Free Art School opened the event with a performance of Shiroi Hana, a combination of dance, video, and song that illustrates the shocking reality of nuclear weapons
“The coward faces death many times before he dies, the valiant never face death but once. This is so true of the 100 noble souls we welcome here today,”said Mini Anthony, secretary to the city of Kochi, as she warmly welcomed the 63rd Peace Boat Global Voyage delegation of 102 Hibakusha to the colourful and historic port in Kerala, India. The Hibakusha delegation arrived in Kochi to raise awareness of the horrors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, interact with the local populace, and call for end to India’s nuclear proliferation.
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As part of the event, local participants heard testimony of survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In view of the recent move to increase the sharing of nuclear technology between the United States and India, the Hibakusha visit was particularly timely. Forbidden under the articles of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the cooperation between the two countries will likely trigger a new round in the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan, inevitably bringing increased instability to the whole subcontinent. At ground level, the fate of the people of India and Pakistan is intrinsically tied to their respective government's thirst for nuclear supremacy. Although clean drinking water is a dream for most of the citizens of Pakistan, money is poured into defence and military development. Meanwhile, spending in India on social measures such as education and health is as little as 14 out of every 100 rupees, with 86 rupees cumulatively spent on military spending and debt incurred predominately from previous expenditures on defence.
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Together with Hibakusha representatives, Peace Boat Executive Committee member Akira Kawasaki and Mayor Williams called for the global abolition of nuclear weapons at the Kochi press conference
Yet as India increases its nuclear budget, so in riposte must Pakistan—a vicious circle endlessly sweeping more and more citizens in a downward spiral of poverty. Nuclear attack would be suicidal for both aggressor and victim, nevertheless both countries cling to the delusion that their nuclear arsenals bring increased security. Pakistan hoped its possession of nuclear weapons would ease the situation in warring Kashmir, and India believed its arsenal would bring about its long awaited status as a superpower, but both their hopes remain unfulfilled. The only outcome has been the escalation of conventional conflicts between the two neighbouring countries.
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Numerous local dignitaries, including Honourable Justice K. K. Dinesan, Former High Court Judge of Kerala, and Sri Lankan Ambassador Geetha De Silva joined the calls for total nuclear abolition
In Kochi, the Peace Boat delegation and Professor Mercy Williams, the mayor of Kochi, released a joint statement calling for the Indian government to freeze all nuclear development, ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), end its policy of nuclear cooperation with the United States and renew peaceful dialogue with neighbouring countries to avoid catastrophic consequences of nuclear exchange. This call was echoed by Setsuko Thurlow, a Hibakusha and lifelong peace activist, when speaking to a 300-plus local audience at the public event. “Please urge your governments to take action by joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and by signing and ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. This will serve to greatly reduce the tension and anxiety of the global community. We survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ask you this from the bottom of our hearts.” The joint statement also called for the Japanese government to leave the US nuclear umbrella, promote the establishment of a Nuclear Free Zone in Northeast Asia and realise the potential of Article 9. (The full statement is available online here: www.peaceboat.org/english/nwps/pr/arc/080931/index.html)
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Mayor Williams makes history by signing the Mayors for Peace Hiroshima and Nagasaki Protocol, making Kochi the first Indian city to join the campaign
At the event, Mayor Williams announced that Kochi would be the first Indian city to become a signatory of the Mayors for Peace Hiroshima and Nagasaki Protocol. Mayors for Peace, an international movement begun by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is calling for a new protocol to be added to the NPT that demands the abolition of all nuclear weapons by 2020. Mayor Williams announced that the city was proud to be part of the protocol and join the call for global peace and disarmament. “With our historic past and harmonious community, we are the right people to carry this message forward,” she added.