Respected  dignitaries  on and off the dais and my dear friends,

Today i am going to talk about Hiroshima Day

71 years ago, the then president of USA, Harry S. Truman took a decision. He decided to use Nuclear Weapons against Japan with whom they were at war. A decision which annihilated thousands of people, ironically in the name of  saving thousands of lives from the unending war. Hiroshima Day commemorates 6 August 1945, the day when an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, followed by another dropped Atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki.

It is the only instance in human history ,where a nation used nuclear weapon against another nation. The bombings effectively ended World War II by bringing about the surrender of Japan, but at a terrible price .The two cities were  destroyed and casualties, mostly civilians, were estimated at around 200,000, with many more people dying later from injuries and illness. The Bomb coded little boy destroyed 70 percent of the Buildings in Hiroshima and generations suffered due to the effects of Radiation. The incident shook the world and brought into light the terrible aftereffects of nuclear warfare. Antiwar movements and Nuclear disarmament movement strengthened around the world .While the debate over the US decision to bomb still continues, Hiroshima Day is now a focus for anti-war and anti-nuclear discussions and demonstrations. The collective vision, dedication and hard work of Japanese people powered Japan to rise from rubble and today Japan is world’s third largest Economy.

The day reminds all of us the irony of killing thousands to save thousands, war and its terrible destruction and the today's need and importance for universal harmony and peace.

So friends, Lets all take a pledge today that we will always work together towards spreading the message of  mutual respect,peace and harmony and will never endorse any acts  of violence.

Thank you