Towards Destruction

Towards Destruction

1990 7 July 6 Towards Destruction (242) Andre Sakharov, the distinguished Russian scientist (born May 21, 1921), secured for the Soviets strategic parity with the Americans by developing the first Russian hydrogen bomb. It was successfully experimented upon in October 1953 and Sakharov’s persistent efforts towards this end were ultimately crowned by his receiving the Nobel prize in 1975. But, in spite of this success, he was made to suffer internal exile for championing human rights.

The present Soviet Prime Minister, Michael Gorbachov, set Andre Sakharov free in December 1986. But free thinker that he was, he opposed Gorbachov for not being able to bring total civic freedom to the USSR. Hardly two and a half year after this release, he died suddenly of heart failure. Just a matter of hours before his death, he told fellow opposition members of the Congress that the Communist party leadership, headed by Mr. Gorbachev, was leading the country to ruin.

All human beings can be likened to Andre Sakharov, for man himself is standing on the verge of the greater catastrophe of death. But he himself takes no note of the great abyss yawning before him. He is too busy informing others of the impending disaster. He himself is going to be brought to book, but he prefers to make speeches about others being judged.

How strangely improvident that man should be so conscious of the fate of others, while totally unaware of the plunge that he himself is about to take.