2009

Date: 16.07.2009

Report of abolition campaign at Amritsar, Punjab INDIA

The Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) Medical students’ wing Amritsar organized a seminar and peace march to pay homage to the victims of atomic bombing by the USA on human population in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by pledging to work for abolition of nuclear weapons from earth. A seminar was organized in the lecture theatre Hall A of the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. Parminder Kaur (Executive Member) and Rukinder Singh (Finance Secretary) greeted the dignitaries and students. Then Manjinder Raju (Gen secretary) told about various achievements of this wing. Dr Tejbir Singh (Prof, Deptt of Community Medicine, Govt Medical College, Asr) shared his viewpoint on the topic and welcomed the audience. Dr Arun Mitra (Gen Secretary, IDPD, India) lighted the lamp and shared his views with the students. He complimented the branch and said that this is the best branch of students’ wing of IDPD. He pointed out that the world spends over 20000 crore rupees on arms race every day where as 30000 children die every day in the world due to poverty related causes. He called upon the students to struggle to put an end to this. Then there was a presentation by Dr Gurshant Singh (President). This presentation depicted various hazards of nuclear war and weapons. This was followed by the prize distribution for the poster competition which had the theme of “Hazards of Nuclear Weapons” and World Health Day Theme 2009. Dr AS Padda (Prof & Head, Deptt of Community Medicine, Govt Medical College, Asr) gave his views on the topic. Then Taninderjeet Singh (Joint Secretary) did vote of thanks, explained the route of the peace march and invited everyone to join the peace march. Thereafter the students and doctors took out a peace march from Govt Medical College, Asr to Lawrence road to Company Bagh to SS Chowk and then back to Govt Medical College. Around 400 people participated including the nursing students. People were holding banners and placards on which various slogans of peace and development were written.

Date: 6.8.2009

Report of Hiroshima Day at Ludhiana

The Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) organized a seminar on 6th August 2009 at Punjabi Bhawan Ludhiana, to pay homage to the victims of atomic bombing by the USA on human population in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by pledging to work for abolition of nuclear weapons from earth and to build a society free of violence of all kinds. Inaugurating the seminar Dr Livtar Singh Chawla, President IDPD and Vice President International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), pointed out that the world spends over 20000 crore rupees on arms race every day where as 30000 children die every day in the world due to poverty related causes and 15,000 from hunger alone. Over 23,000 nuclear weapons on earth can destroy the humanity for good. The nuclear winter caused as a result of a limited regional nuclear war will lead to large number of famines and droughts on earth. It is an agony that 90% of casualties that occur in the event of war are of civilians. All these points will be discussed thread bare in the All Asia Peace conference to be held at Hiroshima on 22-23 August where a 20 member delegation of IDPD will participate. Dr M K Mahajan, Professor of Radiotherapy CMC & Hospital Ludhiana in his presentation said that the atomic bomb acts through blast, heat and radiation effects and causes unprecedented damage. The effects of radiations can be observe even after 64 years of dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. Dr Bharti Uppal, Professor of Biochemistry, CMC & Hospital in her presentation said that the nuclear weapons are the weapons of mass destruction to which medical fraternity has no cure to offer. The only way is their abolition from earth. Dr Balbir Shah, Medical Superintendent DMC & Hospital said that it is unfortunate that India and Pakistan both have nuclear weapons now. We have to solve our needs for alleviation of poverty. Therefore there is need to work for building confidence among neighbors in south Asia. For this IDPD has organized several exchange programmes. Dr Arun Mitra General, Secretary IDPD citing the history said that the nuclear weapons were thrown on human population at Japan by the USA to show its might to the world at a time when the second world war had almost ended with the surrender of Nazi Germany and imminent surrender of Japan. He called upon the people of the world to build strong public opinion to force the governments to make a time bound frame work to abolish these weapons. He was critical of nuclear energy use for generating electricity which is neither economical nor safe he said. Dr N S Bawa presented a poster exhibition highlighting the destruction caused by the nuclear arms race. Following the speeches by the doctors the students asked several questions and pledged to carry the message to their schools. Besides the students from Dayanand Medical College, Govt. College for Women, and Master Tara Singh College for Women the schools which participated in the event include G N Khalsa Sr Sec. School for Girls (Gujjarkhan), BCM Arya Sr Sec. School, Delhi Public School, Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School PAU, Ramgarhia Sr. Secondary School for Boys, GMT Sr. Sec. School, Navyug High School, Govt. Girls Sr. Sec. School Bharat Nagar, Guru Nank Model Sen. Sec. Shool, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Haibowal, S.K.S.K.Educational Institute Salem Tabiri, S.D.P. Sr. Sec. School, Hazuri Road, R.S.Model Sr.Sec. School. All the participating students were given certificate of participation and institutions were given mementos.