Remembering the bomb

It was the morning of August 6, 1945 when the most tragic and horrific incident in human history happened. During World War II, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and within seconds, the city full of life was burned into ashes due to the combination of heat and explosive material.

More than 100,000 fatalities were reported. Another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki three days later on August 9, 1945 killing around 80,000 people. To avoid more human losses, Japan decided to surrender on the 15th of August, 1945 and thus, World War II officially ended.

Every year, the day is marked on August 6 in the city of Hiroshima. Special prayers for lasting world peace are also held. The first ceremony, which was held after two years of the tragic incident in 1947, eventually succeeded to attract a large number of participants, including relatives of the families of the deceased and peace loving people from all over the world. On the occasion, participants show their firm commitment for ensuring world peace.

In my view, it was indeed a tough time for Japan 75 years ago as an economically devastated country was facing extreme pressure. In response to the atomic attack, there were two options available – to react aggressively or show patience. However, the Japanese leadership decided to promote peace. They had to compromise on almost every national issue. But the Japanese people were very well aware of the fact that education is the only tool with which they could regain their lost position to stand on their feet once again. Between 1945 and 1952, widespread educational, technological and social reforms were witnessed in almost every field.

Rather than showing aggression and wanting to take revenge, the Japanese leadership analyzed the whole situation with a cool mind and decided to transform the country into one free of violence. The great Japanese nation also felt no hesitation to seek support from former enemy countries. The contribution of renowned American business management expert W Edwards Deming is widely acknowledged throughout Japan. Under his guidance, the Japanese nation learned about the importance of quality products. Dr Deming taught the golden rule that improving the quality of Japanese products can result in rapid growth rate and good reputation of Japan in the eyes of the international community.

Today, after 75 years, the dominance of Japanese technologies in every sector is an undeniable fact. There was a time when Japan had to take loans but today the world economy is heavily dependent on Japan. All this happened because the Japanese nation did not give up, and carried on their journey towards prosperity with positive intentions into the right direction.

There is a prominent dominance and wide popularity of Japanese companies, such as: Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon and Mitsubishi, in the global market with a repute of producing reliable, durable and best quality products.

Besides technological advancements, Japan is also known as a role model for world peace. Its foreign policy is based on the remarkable principle of 'Proactive Contribution to Peace' for ensuring international cooperation in different sectors. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is also committed to becoming a bridge between the people of Japan and developing countries, including Pakistan, through the sharing of knowledge and experience, in order to transform a more peaceful and prosperous world. That’s why the positive role of Japan is being acknowledged throughout the world.

We should learn a lesson from Japan about how a highly demoralized, financially devastated and defeated nation succeeded to rise from the ashes of the atomic bomb to become the second-largest economy. In my view, the adoption of an optimistic approach in the right decision always results in achieving desired goals and targets.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.

Twitter: @RVankwani