World frightened even today when it hears word Hiroshima: PM Modi

TIL Desk/National/Tokyo/ The world gets frightened even today when it hears the word ‘Hiroshima’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, an apostle of peace, here in this Japanese city.

Modi, who arrived in Japan for the G7 summit on Friday, made those remarks after unveiling a 42-inch bronze bust of Gandhi in Hiroshima. The bust site, adjacent to the Motoyasu River, is close to the iconic A-Bomb Dome that is visited by thousands of people – locals and tourists alike – every day.

“Even today, the world gets frightened when it hears the word Hiroshima. I got the opportunity to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi during my visit to Japan for the G7 Summit,” he said after unveiling the bust. “I want to thank the Japanese Government for placing the bust in Hiroshima and giving me the opportunity to unveil it,” he said.

The United States conducted the world’s first atomic attack on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing some 140,000 people.