A Nuclear Free Future

Shillong, 8th August 2020

NEDF with deep concern expressed our solidarity to the victims and survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki because of bombing of Atom Bomb on 6 and 9 of August 1945 by USA . NEDF also strongly condemned such act in the human history for not to repeat again in the World. NEDF demand to the International Community including UN for a WORLD FREE NUCLEAR FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS with the dream for A NUCLEAR FREE FUTURE.

It is 75 years now that the first two bombs were dropped in Japan - Little Boy, a 12,500 TNT made from uranium on Hiroshima on 06 August, 1945, at around 08:16 A.M. (Japanese Time) and Fat Man, a 22,000 tonne made from plutonium on Nagasaki on 09 August, 1945 at around 11:02 A.M. (Japanese Time).

Though the two bombs had cut off precious and innocent lives of the two cities there and then and totally to some 2,20,000 souls by the year ending and leaving many impaired for life and generations because of radiation effects, human nature has not changed as there is no repentance to turn over a new leaf, though the glib is for world peace while the strategy is to growl, intimidate and threaten through having nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, right from extracting and commercializing atomic minerals at the expense of land resources, indigenous communities’ lives and sustainable livelihoods, including changing land laws and social/economic/environment impact assessment analysis and reports to suit the political convenience in having nuclear industries and thereby go about strutting one’s chest of belonging to the elite Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) and so move around by wearing an imaginary placard “Nobody touch ME”.

The acquisition of such nuclear weapons undergoes a meticulous axe and grind through the process of obtaining atomic minerals which are radioactive beginning with mining and leaving behind, hazardous ores, tailings and wastes detrimental both to human life and the environment by making it polluted, poisonous thereby cutting off/shortening life of humans, fauna, flora and all living organisms and as such, contributes immensely to enhancing climate change and thereby, making the world become uninhabitable. And to exist precariously, utmost precautions must be taken similar to, if not worst, the existential grim reality under the pandemic of COVID-19.

Around the world - faith groups of Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Jain, Buddhist and Christian traditions under the name Faith Communities Concerned about Nuclear Weapons, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) like Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, International Camapign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons including faith-based organizations, viz. The World Council of Churches, General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) like the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Hibakusha (survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic holocaust) have persistently called for a WORLD FREE NUCLEAR FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS with the dream for A NUCLEAR FREE FUTURE.

In like manner, the North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) expresses its solidarity with all those calling for a NUCLEAR FREE WORLD, i.e. whether as a weapon or nuclear energy for peaceful purposes to generate electricity and right from the mining process.

We therefore call for immediate stoppage of uranium (including all other atomic minerals) mining anywhere and everywhere as
o Uranium mining is taking place in complete disregard of native/indigenous people’s /tribal land thereby taking away aboriginal/indigenous people’s rights and livelihoods;
o Uranium is used for making nuclear bombs by converting it to plutonium in the nuclear reactors;
o Uranium mining rapidly produces large volumes of liquid and solid waste, which remains hazardous ad infinitum, pollutes the air around thereby has a catastrophic environmental effect on the immediate surrounding and also contaminates the downstream area;
o Radioactivity in the form of radon gas permeates and accumulates in solids, liquids, gases, and finds its way to human beings directly and indirectly;
o Health hazards are stupendous and deadly and continues through generations even causing genetic mutation;
o There is no method or strategy to stop radiation - contamination from uranium mining waste and its spread.

We urge upon one all, irrespective of ethnicity, culture, nationality, faith/religious belief, colour, gender, to be resolute for a NUCLEAR FREE WORLD and that all Governments, irrespective of ideology, form and type to sign and ratify the UN Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) so that our dream becomes a reality here and now.

We also call for freedom from (a) human rights violation in the form of rape, murder, torture, harassment, exploitation and from (2) gender, ethnic, racial, cultural, religious discrimination.

We further call for freedom of speech and expression with the democratic right to dissent and to exercise the human right to life in letter and spirit.

(Mr. Anthony Debbarma)
Tripura

(Dr. P. B. M. Basaiawmoit)
Meghalaya