National 9 (Spotlight Weekly)

Reminders of World War II

The festival organized on the eve of 60th anniversary of the end of WWII brings back the memories of the devastation

By A CORRESPONDENT

The Russian Embassy in Kathmandu organized a film festival from December 5 to 7. Various films showing movies related to happenings of the World War II were screened at the festival. The 'Russian Film Festival' was organized on the eve of the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the World War II. On the inaugural ceremony of the festival, the ambassador of Russia to Nepal shed light on various aspects of the world war and how it influenced the movie-makers.

"The forthcoming 60th Anniversary of Victory gives us a good reason to look back at the lessons of the Second World War," said Ambassador Valery V. Nazarov. "We know how fascism emerged and how its aggressive policy developed. It’s a bare fact that the way to the Big War was paved by invasion of the militarist Japan into China in 1931, aggression of fascist Italy against Abyssinia in 1935, fascist revolt and civil war in Spain in 1936-1939, annexation by the Nazi Germany of Austria in 1938 and Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939. We should not forget that among the major factors of those dramatic developments, the most tragic one was lack of mutual trust, understanding and cooperation between such non-aggressive states as Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, the United States and some other countries which failed to form a collective security system, to curb the aggressors and as a result were attacked by them one by one. "

Ambassador Nazarov

"Only with the beginning in September 1939 of the Second World War and especially after the German army’s attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, the situation gradually changed and the anti-fascist coalition was eventually formed. Today we know that only due to their joint efforts the freedom-loving nations have succeeded in crushing nazism and fascism. That’s why the forthcoming 60th Anniversary of the Great Victory is truly an event shared by all the nations of the world including those of the then enemy countries, since in 1945 the whole world was saved by the anti-fascist coalition from the imminent danger of falling under the fascist slavery. We can’t underestimate the fact that the traditions of partnership and unity born during those hard and difficult years help us today to take a common stand against the new threats we face and strengthen our cooperation in the interests of stability and security in the world."

Although Nepal did not participate directly in the war, it has a important meaning to the Nepalese. Nepal had supported the Allied forces and sent its men to fight for the forces of the British Empire. It is, in fact after the depiction of the bravery by the Nepali soldiers in the second world war that the bravery of Nepali was spread world wide as 'Johny Gurkhas.' After the outbreak of the War, Nepal sent a strong contingent of more than 200,000 soldiers to fight side by side with the British. The courageous Gorkhali soldiers fought in that war in various fronts in Malaya, Singapore, Burma, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, Abyssinia, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and so on showing bravery and gallantry. In that war at least 7500 Gorkhali soldiers sacrificed their lives and 23,600 soldiers were wounded. According to other data, not less than 43,000 soldiers from Nepal fell victims to the war.

Everything in the world has two sides. One of the positive aspects of second world war was the establishment of the United Nations Organisations. The huge loss of life and property caused during the war appealed the remaining people to conciliate and abstain from war. The aftermath of this very war has averted wars in the subsequent years.

Although the world is growing more and more violent in the last few years, no one rules out the fact that major wars were averted because of the results of previous wars that has made the countries well aware of the devastation wars would cause. Stressing on this fact ambassador Nazarov said, " The historic Victory in 1945 created conditions for the establishment of the United Nations Organization, called upon to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."

In attempt to remember the war and its impact on people, a number of films related to the war were shown at the Russian Cultural Center in Kathmandu. The show provided a unique opportunity to Nepalese audience to see the films made in Russia, which provided a different perspective about the happenings of that era.