Dear friends, A meeting of about 55 social activists ,writers, journalists, scientists and teachers took place on 20th May 98 at Sarvodaya office at Nana chowk to protest against the explosion of Atomic Bomb at Pokharan. The Govt. had promised for a comprehensive review of defence requirements after which the decision of the carrying out nuclear tests was to be taken. No such review was done and for reasons which are more political than defence related, the bomb explosions wee made.
Nuclear bombs are no solutions to the threats to the country.
The threats are from poverty , hunger, disease and worsening communal scenario, due to the use of relegion in the politics by the major political force of the day. The Sangh Pariwar, BJPs political affiliates are deriving maximum political milage from this and a mass hysteria is being promoted, which aims at strenghtening the political prowess of BJP and will also distract,the social attention from the problems of daily life of the downtrodden sections of society- Dalits, minorities Adivasis and workers. The explosions were carried out on Buddha pornima day, the phrase used was Buddha Laughed again. This is a big insult to the apostle of love, peaceand compassion ,Lord Gautum Buddha. The meeting decided to launch a series of short and long term protest actions.