Tokyo, August 6 (ANI): India’s Ambassador to Japan, Nagma Mallick, paid floral tributes to the victims of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Thursday, marking the 81st anniversary of the tragedy.
The Indian diplomat joined members of the diplomatic community in Japan at a reception organized for attendees of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, where she met with Hiroshima Governor Mika Yokota and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui.
In a separate ceremony, Ambassador Mallick, accompanied by Mayor Matsui, Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly Chairman Takashi Nakamoto, and Hiroshima Japan-India Association President Kazuhisa Matsumoto, laid a wreath at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
Sharing details of the event on X, the Indian Embassy in Japan stated: “Ambassador’s Visit to Hiroshima. Ambassador Mallick, together with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly Chairman Takashi Nakamoto, and Hiroshima Japan-India Association President Kazuhisa Matsumoto, laid a wreath at the statue of Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi). We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Indian community in Japan who participated, and to everyone who supports India.”
The commemorative events took place on the anniversary of August 6, 1945, when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped a uranium bomb over Hiroshima during the closing stages of World War II, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths by the end of that year.
Addressing the gathering during the annual memorial service, Hiroshima Mayor Matsui issued a strong call to global powers on nuclear nonproliferation.
Reading the Peace Declaration, Matsui said, “Downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and accepting the use of force to pursue one’s own prosperity risks cycles of violent retaliation that could ultimately result in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki.”
Japan’s Kyodo News reported that the city of Hiroshima urged the international community to pursue the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, criticizing their use as “tools of intimidation” in armed conflict and warning that “imperious actions by major powers” violate international law.
A moment of silence was observed across the city at 8:15 a.m. local time, marking the exact moment the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima 81 years ago, Kyodo News reported.
According to the news agency, nearly 50,000 people gathered at Peace Memorial Park to honor the victims, with official delegations from 121 countries and the European Union participating in the commemorative ceremony. (ANI)
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