The Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year. He has been given this honor for campaigning against nuclear weapons in the world. The organization includes survivors of the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. These are called hibakusha.
These hibakusha share their suffering and painful memories worldwide through the Nihon Hidankyo organization. The Nobel Committee said that one day these victims of nuclear attacks will no longer be with us, but the new generation of Japan will continue to share their memories and experiences with the world and remind them of how dangerous nuclear weapons are to the world.
The picture is of members of the Nihon Hidankyo organization.
An organization formed after the testing of the hydrogen bomb The Nihon Hidankyo Institute was founded in 1956 during the Second World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs. America tested the hydrogen bomb in 1954 and a world conference was started in 1955 to protest against it.
Almost 10 years after the nuclear attack in 1945, the victims have not received any help from America. The US military prohibited the victims from speaking or writing anything about the nuclear attack.
Since its inception the organization has sent groups of hibakusha (victims) to various parts of the world to make the world aware of the terrible damage and human suffering caused by nuclear weapons. The organization strives to ensure that no more hibakusha are created anywhere in the world and that the world becomes 'nuclear weapon free'.
80 years ago, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed
The Chamber of Industry and Commerce building in Hiroshima was the closest to the center of the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945. After the attack it was left unrepaired as a reminder of the event.
At 8:15 pm on August 6, 1945, America dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima from the Allona Gay plane. It exploded after remaining in the air for 43 seconds. Immediately after this, a large ball of fire erupted and the surrounding temperature reached 3000 to 4000 degrees Celsius.
The blast created such a strong wind that within 10 seconds the blast spread across Hiroshima. 70 thousand people were killed within a few minutes of the explosion. Three days after this attack, America also dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. This bomb was named Fat Man. The name of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was Little Boy.
This fat man weighing 4500 kg was loaded with 6.5 kg of plutonium. The bomb exploded in Nagasaki at about 11:02 p.m. More than 40 thousand people were killed in this attack. After the nuclear attack, Japan surrendered and World War II ended.
Nargis, who is in jail in Iran, won the Nobel Prize In 2023, Iranian female journalist and activist Nargis Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She received this award for fighting for women's freedom and their rights. The Nobel Committee announced the Peace Prize with the slogan of Iran's women-people-life-freedom.
51-year-old Nargis is imprisoned in Iran's Awan prison. So far he has been arrested 13 times. After her last arrest, Nargis was sentenced to 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.
In an interview with the New York Times in June 2023, Nargis said that she had not seen her children for 8 years. He last heard the voice of his twin daughters Ali and Kiana in 2022.
Pictured is Nobel laureate Nargis Mohammadi with her twin daughters Ali and Kiana.
So far 112 people have won the Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize was started in 1901. So far 112 people and 30 organizations have received this honour. Mahatma Gandhi was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 5 times. Many questions have been raised regarding this.
In 1937, Jakob Worm-Muller, an adviser to the Nobel Prize Committee, said that Gandhi was a freedom fighter, an idealist, a nationalist and a dictator. Sometimes he looks like a messiah, but then suddenly he becomes an ordinary leader. He was not always a pacifist. He should have known that some of his non-violent campaigns against the British would turn into violence and terror.
After Jacob's report, the committee decided not to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Mahatma Gandhi. This was not the only occasion, Gandhi was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times in 1938, 1939, 1947 and 1948. However, each time his name was removed.
Due to the partition of India-Pakistan in 1947, Gandhi did not get the Nobel In 1939, when the country became independent after 8 years, once again there was a demand to give Nobel to Gandhiji. In 1947 the three jointly nominated Gandhi again for the Nobel Peace Prize. That Nobel Prize Committee selected 6 people for this honor, including Gandhi's name.
Although Gandhiji was lauded in a report by Jens Arup Seep, adviser to the Nobel Committee at the time, he did not fully deserve the honor. Its main reason was the partition of India-Pakistan.
3 out of 5 members present in the Nobel Committee were in favor of not awarding the prize to Gandhi amid the partition and riots. At the time of partition, Gandhi once again missed out on the Nobel as he toured the country appealing for riots to stop. The 1947 Nobel Prize was awarded to a Quaker organization.
Bapu was killed 2 days before the deadline for Nobel nominations In 1948, a total of 6 people nominated Gandhi for the Nobel Peace Prize. The advisers and members of the committee appeared to be in favor of awarding Gandhi the Nobel Prize, but Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated 2 days before the deadline for nominations for the award.
Now the question was, even if this honor is given to him posthumously, to whom will the prize money go? In fact, Gandhi did not work for any organization nor declared an heir.
In such a situation, the Nobel Prize Committee, on the advice of its adviser, decided not to award the Peace Prize to anyone in 1948. According to the Nobel Prize's official website, the committee said at the time that no one alive deserved the honor this year.
3 such personalities, who followed in Gandhi's footsteps and got Nobel The Nobel Prize Committee never gave this honor to Mahatma Gandhi, but there are not one but 3 people who inspired Mahatma Gandhi and later won the Nobel Prize.
Nelson Mandela: Gandhi is my role model The first name in this category is that of Nelson Mandela, the father of the nation of South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his contribution to ending apartheid in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela was greatly influenced by Gandhi's ideology. He considered Gandhi as his role model. Mandela once said in his speech – I will never be able to reach the standard that Mahatma Gandhi set for love, simplicity and morality towards the poor. Gandhi was a man who had no weaknesses, but not so with me.
The first picture shows Nelson Mandela, the second picture Martin Luther King Jr. and the third picture the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Prize.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Gandhi explained the importance of non-violence American activist Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was the youngest person to receive this honor at the time. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his efforts to lead the civil rights movement and eliminate racial discrimination through non-violence.
Martin Luther visited India in 1959. Then he met Gandhi's sons. Later Martin wrote – Gandhiji has been a mentor to me. It was through Gandhi that Martin realized that non-violence was a powerful weapon in the freedom struggle.
Dalai Lama: My Nobel Tribute to Gandhiji The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He received this honor for fighting to protect the history and culture of Tibet and finding a peaceful solution to it.
After winning the award, Dalai Lama said – This honor is my tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He was the person who suggested the path of non-violence for change. His life teaches and inspires me a lot. Dalai Lama once said – Gandhiji is an inspiration to me. He is an ideal politician who placed his belief in the spirit of philanthropy above all personal considerations.
According to Dalai Lama – Today the world needs Gandhiji's ideas and his teachings on non-violence. I have always considered myself a follower of Gandhiji. If I get a chance to meet him today, the first thing I will do is touch his feet and seek his blessings.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
