Key Points

According to a release, the dignitaries present on the occasion included Satnam Singh Sandhu, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and IMF Convener, Prof Himani Sood, IMF Co-Founder, Toshiko Tanaka, a member of Nobel Peace Prize winning group (Nihon Hidankyo) of atomic bomb survivors, Kenta Sumioka, a third-generation atomic bomb survivor and Managing Director of Peace Culture Village (PCV) in Hiroshima and members of Indian diaspora in Japan.

PM Modi was honoured with a Citation by 'Peace Culture Village' in appreciation of the initiatives taken by him for world peace and his role as a global voice of peace. This Citation, signed by Toshiko Tanaka, an atomic bomb survivor and Kenta Sumioka, Managing Director of Peace Culture Village (PCV) in Hiroshima, was handed over to MP Satnam Singh Sandhu and Prof Himani Sood.

This Citation said PM Modi's leadership affirms that humanity's highest strength lies in dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility for a future free of nuclear weapons. Handing over the Citation, they said PM Modi is the leader who can move the world towards peace.

The Citation acknowledged PM Modi's contributions to Nuclear Peace through acts of remembrance that dignify victims and inspire future generations to reject nuclear war, publicly articulated restraint policies that strengthen norms of non-use and risk reduction, commitment to safeguarded cooperation that aligns transparency with peaceful purposes and promotion of youth and science exchanges so that innovation is guided by ethics and peace.

"In offering this honour, we also recognise your role as a steadfast global voice of peace, whose leadership affirms that humanity's highest strength lies in dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility for a future free of nuclear weapons," it said.

On the occasion, Toshiko Tanaka, Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivor, said, "I was over six years old during the Atomic attack in Hiroshima. I have faced the horrors of this attack and have dedicated my life to appealing to the world that we should destroy weapons of mass destruction. During the Atomic Bomb attack, I lost all of my friends in the school and was the only survivor. No trace of some victims of this attack has been found till now. I heard the view of India's PM Modi when he came to Japan, in which he expressed willingness to work for global peace with Japan. I really felt inspired by PM Modi and India's declared policies of no-first-use, credible minimum deterrence, non-use against non-nuclear-weapon States, and a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing, which provide important examples of how doctrine can restrain nuclear danger and reinforce global norms of non-use. India's policy advocates world peace and is an example for other nations to follow. The Citation we have given today is in recognition to PM Modi's appeal to all nations in the world for peace. I salute PM Modi's mantra of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' which captures a deep philosophy that the world is one family."

Kenta Sumioka, an atomic bomb survivor and Managing Director of Peace Culture Village (PCV) in Hiroshima, said, "I'm a third-generation atomic bomb survivor. I grew up listening to my grandmother tell stories about what happened to her in the bombing. I had questions about it, and now I'm an adult and I run an NGO that provides peace education, based in Hiroshima. I think that various countries need to cooperate with each other, and I think that India, in particular, is a very important place in the world. So I would like to join hands with the Prime Minister and the people of India towards peace, so I look forward to working together towards peace,".

On the occasion, MP (Rajya Sabha) and IMF Convener, Satnam Singh Sandhu, said, "The world has recognised PM Modi as a global ambassador of peace. PM Modi has strengthened India's global image, resulting in India and Indians being highly respected around the world. Relations between India and Japan have strengthened over the past few years under PM Modi's leadership. If we adopt Prime Minister Modi's vision of Vasudev Kutumbakam in the true sense, it will help in resolving many conflicts in the world. PM Modi has always vouched for world peace, unity and harmony with the belief that everyone should live in peace and harmony and move towards a better and peaceful tomorrow."

- ANI