64 years have come to pass since the devastating bombing of Hiroshima by the United States. It was today in 1945 that the "Little Boy" was dropped over the Japanese city that resulted in the instantaneous loss of 70,000 lives and the many thousands that followed as a result of radiation positioning!
Untold horrors, as a result of the nuclear attack continued for several decades and this day serves as a grim reminder to one of history's darkest moments ever.
This post pays homage to the Japanese people who suffered colossal loss of lives and unspeakable humanitarian damage that ensued as a result of the bombings of Hiroshima and subsequently Nagasaki.
I pray in sincere earnestness that such a moment shall never come to be witnessed, ever, in future and that all nations, particularly nuclear powers, understand the ill effects of nuclear engagement which has only one sure end result, that being Mutually Assured Destruction!
Footnotes:
Image Courtesy - Flickr (Under Original Copyright)
Image Description - Floating candles in Töölönlahti Bay, on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, 2007
The Wikipedia Page
Beautiful picture, Rak :)
ReplyDeleteNow, Rak i think you should focus on positive oblivions
I am not joking, because what i feel is a true transformation through learning history occurs when we learn history positively...like the cause and effect of wars...statistics of deaths helps is no way...it may perhaps only add to a nation's confidence to kill more,
Japan has done enough at Pearl Harbour as well :)
wishes,
devika
certainly the saddest moment in history.The end of word war 2 which had claimed more than 2 billion lives. 64 yrs on it still rocks us, horrific
ReplyDeleteha! @ Venky's comment
ReplyDeleteWAR ROCKS!
and just stick to statistics of war, my dear
"One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic" Joseph Stalin
If one of us died it CERTAINLY doesn't ROCK anyone! :)
my dear Venky -- i have nothing againt you or Rak...but the way still blogville celebrate death made me write that :)
Wishes,
devika
We will all NEVER forget this :(
ReplyDeleteGreat post !!!!
The deaths at Pearl harbour were military, and the deaths due to this Atomic bombings were civilian, majority tells the difference. It is my personal opinion that the United States is quite a senseless country to have carried out such a mass scale civilian attack. If they had kept quite or carried out a similar military all-out strike against Japanese soldiers, the nuclear proliferation might not have happened afterwards.
ReplyDeleteDestination Infinity
Rak,
ReplyDeletefurther to my comment to you and Destination Infinity's comment...perhaps you could work on a post on the course of Second World War had the US not joined the war...Pearl Harbour being the direct cause,
it would make for an interesting hypothesis to analyse the state of world affairs if that had been the case....Its all a vain excercise now though,
but the point is....the course of things are not often what we contemplate or wish to be,
and Democracies of India and the US grants each and every individual to comment as we wish...we often take it as a birth right :)
wishes,
devika
Rak....my intervention again and again today as in those early days of blogging is -- Do you realise that with such posts you are still walking into the same rut that you were in?....those times of writing obituaries.... Unavoidable...or you enjoy writing them?? whats the funda behind? :))
devika
Lets hope that day does not comes again!!
ReplyDeleteLovely Tribute...Amen to your prayers!
ReplyDeleteNice pic Rakesh !
ReplyDeleteA beautiful tribute. Thank You :-)
ReplyDeletetouching tribute..
ReplyDeletemay we never witness another Hiroshima ever again ..
amen
ReplyDeleteHi Rakesh! It's always much more difficult to rationally analyse, rather than emotionally adhere...
ReplyDeleteBut Magic said it all: Amen!
Blogtrotter is now showing that Reykjavik is not entirely grey... ;)). Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend!
@Devika: Thanks for the idea for the post. I will do that sometime in the future. But I still don't think the United States is an angel by dropping nuclear bombs over civilian territory. The indirect effects of nuclear proliferation is much more than the direct effect of withdrawing Japan from the war. But I have always looked at the WWII in the German point of view and still don't know why the United States and Japan had to enter the war!
ReplyDeleteActually after reading a couple of books, I am still unable to understand why England had to enter the war!! :-) LOL
Destination Infinity
Ha! Rak a response to DI
ReplyDeletei too don't think any nation in war is an Angel, including India :)
Now, On the war perspective -- WWII was always studied from German perspective...others joining at each point..
"still don't know why the United States and Japan had to enter the war!
Actually after reading a couple of books, I am still unable to understand why England had to enter the war :-) LOL
Its not an easy straight line of cause or effect...all mixed up being a war between nations of the world..which had many a political and trade agreements to support each other...
But still from the stories I have heard (my father used to tell world history as a story :)) and some books I've read....I'll give a brief idea if that helps
JAPAN AND US:
Japan, Germany and Italy had an agreement to fight Stalinist Russia’s Communist International spreading across other parts…..Infact Japan wasn’t involved in WWII or do much for the agreement…until they attacked Pearl Harbour, when Germany and Italy declared war on the US...to gain back Japan to their front
Pearl Harbour -- Japan’s imperialism was trying to gain grounds in East Asia and Pacific region…and Japan’s control over China infuriated US and it started with trade restriction, mainly on oil…..hence Japanese had their eye on oil sources in the Pacific…..a knock out of Pearl Harbour Naval base was seen as the way….
With war declared by Germany and Italy and Pearl Harbour attack…US had to enter war --
Britain’s entry in war – primarily because Britain had a pact with Poland to defend them and when Hitler invaded Poland, Britain had to honour the pact…
Nuclear attack – the enthusiasm over the power over a recent discovery…and that seemed the most easiest way…In love and war, they don’t see the means, they say :-)
World War from a single nation's point of view is very inadequate I think....before you write,
read more, understand even more :-)
wishes,
devika
One of those dates in history that make you cringe. Nothing can justify the wiping out of two entire cities.
ReplyDeleteWe will inherit a world with nuclear weapons. But I hope it's a legacy we won't have to leave for the future generations.
Bouncing Back Rakesh.... And in what style n glory... that the stoy shall be a legend for generations to come... That is sumthing our nation needs to learn from this eh ?
ReplyDelete*story
ReplyDeleteLet us wish the power is used for development and not for destruction here after. It’s a great lesson we should never forget to remember. Peace!
ReplyDeleteDevika Chechi
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for your comments! Appreciate them!
Although the content appears negative, I assure you that there is a huge positive spirit in every one of them, such as this one for instance, which advocates the abolition of nuclear weapons eventually!
Having said that, I do not intend to convey any negative thoughts via my posts....which are meant to be informative and tribute paying in nature!
Response to your comment to Venky -
Perhaps, you misunderstood reading Venky's comment which reads "64 yrs on it still rocks us, horrific" by which he meant that it shakes us.....the usage of the word rock here meaning jolted and not one of the celebrating attribute. Request you to consider it so!
Response to your comments to DI -
I'd like to do a critical analysis of the course of events before, during and after WWII, but the sheer volume is putting me off! Like you said, the war would have taken a different turn had the US not decided to join it......pearl harbour being the proximate cause...but then the use of nuclear weapons? I'm not sure if the war was one by that!
And like you said, no nation is an angel....however, there are some standards of war and I see the Japanese bombings nothing short of war crimes which are unpardonable!
Lastly, as I said before, I'm merely paying tributes to people via such posts, and request that you not see it in any form of negativity! In every post, as you have already noticed before, there are many positive messages that reinforce the need to be more civil and humane! That, precisely is my aim!
Thanks very much for your comments! I truly appreciate them!
Rakesh
Venky
ReplyDeleteIndeed! The saddest perhaps of all! And still numbing so long after!
Rakesh
Anya
ReplyDeleteYes, impossible to forget indeed!
Rakesh
DI
ReplyDeleteI agree - that deaths have been varied in nature of people involved and that use of nuclear weapons cannot be justified, whatsoever!
Perhaps, the US should have, as you said, carried out precision attacks on Japanese military installations!
And to the question of why England entered the war - very simple - the Allies needed to bundle up together!!!
Rakesh
Survivor
ReplyDeleteIndeed, lets hope so!
Rakesh
Sakshi
ReplyDeleteThanks very much and lets hope so too!
Rakesh
Vimmuuu
ReplyDeleteThanks pal. The picture was breathtaking and I thought it signified peace and tranquility!
Rakesh
Cheerypie
ReplyDeleteThanks very much!
Rakesh
Aria
ReplyDeleteThanks much! And, yes, lets hope that it is not repeated!
Rakesh
Magiceye
ReplyDeleteIndeed Sir
Rakesh
Gil
ReplyDeleteQuite true when you say that "It's always much more difficult to rationally analyse, rather than emotionally adhere... "
One hopes for a nuclear free world, or more practically speaking, a world free of nuclear disasters!
Rakesh
AJ
ReplyDeleteYes pal......a very sad moment in time indeed! One hopes that a world free of nuclear weapons is the consequence of the disasters that have come to pass!
Rakesh
Samby
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you here! Hope you are doing well!
Like you said, this should serve as a reminder to the future to abstain from war and pursue a quest for peace!
Rakesh
Jeevan
ReplyDeleteIndeed, that is progressive thinking at its best!
Amen!
Rakesh
I agree on what you say "NOW".....But mostly I have seen, its those very same days that I would feel a bit hopeless you have these doom posts here...
ReplyDeleteand in that mood I don't see the positives..Yes, thats my fault...
well, don't worry about me being affected personally....At the end of each day I am through with it all...especially when i've said what I wanted to say,
wishes,
devika
Devika Chechi
ReplyDeleteThats some strange con-incidence perhaps, I assure you, nothing more!
Trust me on this!
Cheers
Rakesh