Destroy All Nuclear Weapons, Urge Doctors
IPPNW's Indian affiliate, IDPD conducted a seminar to commemorate Hiroshima/Nagasaki. Published on Friday, August 10, 2007 by Express News Service
Ludhiana,
August 9: INDIAN Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) organised a seminar
today at Dumra Auditorium of DMCH, to pay homage to the victims of the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945.
Various speakers
at the function expressed concern at the presence of 27,000 nuclear weapons with
nine countries of the world. Doctors and medical students demanded complete abolition
of nuclear weapons from earth to save the mankind from annihilation.
Dr
GPI Singh, Professor and Head of Social and Preventive Medicine at DMCH, introduced
the subject. He spoke about the role of IPPNW and IDPD for peace. Dr Balbir Singh
Shah, professor of pathology, gave a detailed account of what could happen in
the event of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.
He informed the
gathering that up to eight lakh people could be killed and 20 lakh injured if
a nuclear bomb falls on Mumbai. Dr L S Chawla, president IDPD said that even if
the governments decide against the use of such weapons, these could be used by
non-state actors or misfired in a natural calamity. The only way is to abolish
them and prevent such a catastrophe from occurring.
Dr Chawla also expressed
concern at the eagerness of the government to install nuclear power plants through
the Indo-US nuclear deal. These plants could be a serious health hazard, he said.
Dr Chawla highlighted that the Chernobyl tragedy on April 26, 1986 is still not
forgotten, where 93,000 people had died and 5.40 lakh clean up workers became
invalid. He stressed on the need for the utilisation of renewable energy resources.
Dr Arun Mitra, general secretary IDPD, said that war and violence are
a health issue, since medical professionals have to deal with their consequences.
Doctors and medical students can play a big role in generating public opinion
against arms race and thus impress upon the decision makers. He quoted several
exchange programmes and dialogues with decision makers undertaken by the IDPD
and other affiliates of IPPNW in the countries of South Asia as a part of confidence-building
measures. Principal DMCH Dr Daljit Singh said that medicos form the cream of intelligentsia,
and must not only show concern but also act to prevent nuclear catastrophe.
Posted August 13, 2007