Terror on trial

7

By: Tikender Singh Panwar

Last night I reached home a little early at around 8 pm. My wife, who is a surgeon in a medical college in the town, had a hectic day in the operation theater and reached after me. My daughter Rosa was watching television. To my surprise, instead of her regular ‘Pogo’, ‘CN’, or ‘Nick’, she was watching a news channel.
She is just five years young. I asked her why she was not watching her usual channels and instead had switched to news channel, she immediately responded and said some bad men have attacked our country in Bombay. She is very concerned about Bombay as her ‘Mamu’ (she calls Shah Rukh Khan as her Mamu) stays there. Then I said no, the terrorists have attacked us and the security forces are heavily engaged with them.

Then she asked a couple of question, who these terrorists are? Where do they come from? Why do they become terrorists and why are they called so? What is their intention and what do they want? Also are they human beings or just like animation film characters where they are always defeated by Supermans etc. I pondered  a little and said it is difficult for you to understand everything and must grow up to learn all this.
But later during the night I kept on watching the television and thoughts kept on coming to my mind. Some of the channels even went to say that now is the time to teach our neighbor a lesson and a full scale war should be launched. Many, almost every channel I saw kept on declaring it a war on our country. Except for one in which one interviewee said not to raise unnecessary jingoism and understand it as a terrorist attack in which the Indian forces led by the NSG and others are doing a splendid job.

Right through the debate that I witnessed, many of the people as usual ridiculed the politicians to the core and held them responsible for the entire episode. Their argument, this country now requires a military rule.  Some targeted the intelligence failure and suggested for corrective measures. Others not to be left behind blamed the soft state and even went to the extent saying that after an economic ruin and mess in the past we’ve had an economist as prime minister who has elevated the economy (though few would believe the same) and similarly we require a powerful political outfit to get rid of the present mess.

The facts are straight now. Over 200 have been killed in the near 3 nights and two days ordeal which the entire world witnessed. Very brave and adept officers and security men have also been lost. One of the terrorist stands arrested. Over 200 people rescued and so on. But the gist of the matter is an impregnable  answer the countrymen are demanding whether we will live with such horrific incidents in times to come or shall there be an end to all this. I firmly feel and that too very unfortunately that in times to come such incidents are bound to increase.

With the imperial war still on, where more than 6 lakh people have lost their lives in Iraq, it becomes a nursery for those who want to die and then join god in heaven. According to them, this is the most pious job they are doing and so on.  Similarly with cold blooded murder of over 2,000 people in Gujarat who takes the guarantee that such people will not be born again.  And as Mahmood Mamdani writes in his book Good Muslim and Bad Muslim that initially it is the CIA that creates something, in fact gives birth, and the FBI puts it on the most wanted list. Hence if the government or the state I must say, I mean the Indian state follows the same principle such incidents are bound to increase in the days to come.

No difference that the terrorists whosoever they may be are to be dealt with firmly, care should be taken that in the name of combating terrorism common people are not made victims or else this will be a fertile ground to brood innumerable terrorists. Also, terror of majority and minority communalism has to be taken to task. Not that the rioters of Gujarat still wallow in the system and those who stand for rationality are made victims. I hope that with a large diversity in our country we as citizens will be able to meet this challenge and defeat both, terrorism and reasons for developing terrorism.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. I left Mumbai Central by Rajdhani fr my hometown in Shimla as per schedule 2 research stories fr my films…coming fm 2 local 2 d main stn.i took middle stairs fm d overbridge where i came across an off metal detector unattended…atm @ d stn was casual …ther was no1 2 check d main entryfr valid tkt holders…few uniformed personnalwalking d sniffer dogs as in a park!On arr in ISBT via Metro in New Delhi (on d election day,29th) … DO I NEED 2 REPEAT MYSELF?!? May b NO 2 a "dumb & deaf adm" …on my way on NH22 i read d road signs safety saves …I got my msg loud & clear…!

    Scotland Yard while commenting on d 'failed' ass attemt on Pope John Paul II had said,"They've (terrorists) 2 b 'lucky only once , we've(d forces) 2 b 'lucky all d time!"

    I think v as citizens have been patient most of d times & authorities have been idiots all d time! IF u don't agree – i'll shoot u !

  2. Nityin is very true. I think we should refrain from adopting any of the bi-polar world ideology in toto. Capitalism is a well recognized system throughout the world now. The growth vs. equity debate has to be tackled by the democratic governments. The class conflict can also be minimized in good governed countries adopting socialist patters, e.g., Scandinavian countries.

    But the problem with our democracy is entirely different. We all understand the objectives of most Indian leaders. Given a chance everybody is likely behave similarly. We are caught up in a vicious circle of insecurity and me first approach. Only self introspection can take us out of it, that too only if done several times and various levels daily.

    Nothing can be changed unless we all develop a nationalist feeling, which is impossible in current democratic set up.

    If this cannot be altered, we have to stay here in the vicious circle indefinitely. I am very pessimist in this regard, despite knowing all the demerits of such a behavior.

    Nice post by Mr. Tikender, Please keep on writing for the betterment of Himachal and India.

  3. Tikki Bhai

    For the record, the mess in the region started when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and paved way to the Kalashnikov culture in the entire sub continent.

  4. My son who is 6yrs old is normally glued to the Nicklodeon or Disney or Cartoon Network, however for the first time he sat with me to watch the news channels and asked the same kind of questions as Tikender's kid. The blame Pakistan rhetoric that our leaders resort to is foolish and essentially aimed at diverting attention and anger of the people of India from where it should rightly be targeted i.e. our good for nothing leaders. They have failed to protect us. All they have cared is for themselves. Why dont these terrorists go and kill some of these politicians. I for one will not shed a tear for them.

  5. Sir, comparing terrorism and riots in the same article is like comparing apples to oranges. I just hope you were being scrupulous (PC equivocation, IOW, when islamic terrorists are mentioned, tell the readers about buddhist/sikh/jain/hindu 'terrorists' too to maintain balance).

    For a second, if I take your "terrorism/riots" logic, how would you explain the killing of Jewish people in Nariman House? What was their fault? For that, you have too go deep in ideological motivations of the terrorists, which I sense, you know better than me but are not able to pen them down for reasons known to you only.

    The terrorists have openly admitted that they are killing in the name of religion, so why should we shy away on admitting this as a fact.

    Also, the numbers i.e. "over 2000 people dead" in Gujarat riots is all rhetoric and plain wrong? I read in the Govt of India(UPA) report which stated approx 750 muslims and approx 260 Hindus died in the riots. I've tried searching on the net for govt reports, came empty.

    Lastly, if one wants to win, the first step is to identify the enemy and state his goals for all to see. (one can check for Lashkar e Taiba and its 'goals' on the Web). If one cowers in fear in even naming the enemy, who and how does one fight?

    jai jwala,

    vikas

  6. Tikki Bhai!

    <DIV ALIGN=JUSTIFY>Are you sure that these acts of terror are the handwork of Indian Muslims. Pakistani establishment has nothing to do with this? I think, Pakistan still has not got over the 1971 defeat and is hell bent on avenging its defeat by creating trouble for us. Earlier it tried in Punjab then in Kashmir and now trying by creating havoc by pan India terror strikes. Be it the pakistani civilian govt or the generals, they have only this one point agenda. Earlier the US supported the radicalization of the Pakistani army and creation of Jehadis to fight the Soviets. Then the US said it is ok for the Jehadis to operate on the eastern border but not on the western border (against the NATO forces). Now US says no troubles in the eastern part too as, they now realize they have created a Frankenstein monster. The Pakistani establishment involvement is far much deeper in all the troubles being created in India. How do you explain a city being taken hostage by 10 men? Of course they were trained by the Pakistani army. Till yesterday, Pakistan was saying there are no terror camps and terrorist leaders on their soil and today we have news of army operation in POK and Lakhwi and Masood being arrested. Where did they come from overnight?

    This evil has to be faced boldly, courageously and fearlessly. This is not about territorial ambitions or strategic things. This is about defense of freedom and liberty of sovereign countries. A theocratic nation which blackmails people & other nations is surely worth fighting for & sooner one does it the sooner it is better. It is naive to think a country will reform when everything they spew out is hatred & venom on their neighbors.</DIV ALIGN=JUSTIFY>

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