The cost of war and the message of peace
A visit to the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, evokes mixed emotions — impotent rage against toothless organisations entrusted with maintaining world peace, a grudge against countries resorting to aggression to foster national unity and a deep connect with the resilient people who went through tough times in a war-torn country.
This well-maintained museum showcases weapons of mass destruction such as bomber aircraft, tanks, chemical weapons and artillery equipment left by the US forces when Vietnam earned freedom in 1975. A walk through its corridors gives you goosebumps. The photo gallery displays images depicting the inhuman treatment meted out to war prisoners, the heaps of bodies of innocent civilians who succumbed to chemical attacks and the tiger cages where Vietnamese soldiers were kept and left to die in the scorching heat.
Original documents such as the appeals made by various world leaders, including India’s then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the UN Secretary-General, and some peace-loving US civil organisations to stop war and aggression have also been displayed. They bear testimony to the apathetic attitude of the leaders at the helm of the US administration, particularly in the 1960s.
After taking a round of the premises, as you sit in the compound surrounded by lethal weapons, you can’t help feeling proud of the Vietnamese people who took on the might of the US forces. Patriotism and love for the nation reign supreme as the war remnants highlight the sacrifices made by Vietnamese soldiers, who valiantly foiled attempts by the US to divide their nation. Comparisons are odious, but I am compelled to ponder over the independence gained by India in 1947 — at the cost of the Partition — in contrast to the freedom attained by Vietnam while staying undivided.
The enchanting echo of the large bell, ironically made from the giant shell of a bomb used in the war and hung right in the middle of the museum compound, shakes me out of my reverie. Visiting tourists keen to send a message of peace to the entire world occasionally ring the bell by pulling the rope attached to it. But the echo is drowned out by the devastating sounds of bombs and missiles from Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine. These nations’ self-interest does not allow them to hear anything, look at anything or think about anything beyond themselves. It is sincerely hoped that the bell’s resonant boom might someday touch all those cruel and insular hearts as well as souls, paving the way for long-term peace and harmony around the world.
