REASSURANCES
J.C. Kumarappa
Speaking on the Report of the Atomic Energy Commission, President Truman expressed his satisfaction that in the past six months considerable progress has been made in every sector of the 350 million dollar project and stated that all who rely on the strength of the United States have reason for reassurance and faith.
The Report of the Commission itself announces that “new and more effective” atom bombs tested on Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific last year were being produced “on an industrial basis.” With the performance of the United States’ contribution to civilization at Hiroshima fresh in one’s mind one would be forgiven if one questions the meaning of “reassurances.” When a ruthless giant with a garland of skulls around his neck grins with satisfaction at the sharpness of his weapons, is it “reassuring”? Of recent times the two world wars have proved beyond doubt man’s inability to bring peace through armament. The moral stature of man lags far behind his intellectual attainments. The former has to control the latter if the conflict between the good and evil is to show a balance in favour of good. In this world of ours, as at present constituted, it will be too much to expect that the good can have its own all along the line. Hence it is disturbing to peace-loving nations to find an aggressive wrestler patting his biceps in the traditional way showing his readiness to take up any challenge. Let the world beware!
The background to this performance was provided at the United Nations Conventional Armaments Commission which sought to inaugurate a world census of non-atomic weapons and armed forces. Why atomic weapons should have been left out is rather ominous. Under the present conditions of armaments it would appear that the Commission is to function for the atomic-weapons-holders. This position was clearly brought out by M. Seymon Tsarapkin, the Russian Delegate to the Commission, who stated his opinion that the United States seems to be engaged in an armed race as the groundwork for World War III. He felt that there was an armament fever in the United States with the propaganda for war against Russia. These are indications which when backed with the major appropriation of the budgets of many nations for military purposes augur ill for the peace of the world.
Naturally, it is not possible to lay bare such activities before the common man. To throw dust in the eyes of the unsuspecting public, the Atomic Energy Commission includes a few experiments carried out for medical purposes and state that relatively inexpensive radioactive cobalt may eventually prove to be a better treatment for cancer than radium. Having stated this as an opiate they proceed to discuss the possible extension of the sources of uranium and plutonium which at present they are getting from Belgian Congo and Canada.
When we scrutinize these statements in a detached manner it makes us wonder if civilization has entered into a suicide pact. It appears to us that this aggressive policy is being pursued by a handful of people in the few financially strong nations of the world today. Millions of our citizens are peace-loving and absolutely ignorant of the nefarious devices of the handful. Is this democracy? If democracy is to assert itself, it is time that those of us who desire peace and have no intentions on other people’s property, should band ourselves together to put out of court all military preparations, which though ostensibly be for peace, are in reality for aggression. We must confess with sadness that India with its newborn freedom is also “arming for peace.” Is it not time that we took our lessons from the past and reordered our house in the interests of civilization and culture?
(Harijan, September 11, 1949)