It was a Black Friday
for Paris indeed. On the morning of the Saturday, the 14th of
November 2015, the world woke up to the shocking news of terrorist attacks
carried out on one of the most vibrant cities on earth. What should have been a
gay and enjoyable weekend for many Parisians turned out be a nightmare, as
scores of innocent people were killed and injured by terrorists who planned and
executed the attack with lethal precision.
As an Indian who has witnessed similar attacks on home soil,
my heart goes out to those affected.
If I knew better, I would say this was an incident waiting
to happen. Our Prime Minister, Mr.
Narendra Modi rightly said that the attacks
mirror those carried out on 26th November 2008 in Mumbai. India long
ago stated that terrorists have used India as a staging ground for carrying out
attacks on a worldwide scale. While we suffered, the world joined hands in
condemning the heinous acts of terrorism but failed to heed our warning and
realize the real repercussions. If the Mumbai attacks are not proof enough,
take the 1999 hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
What followed on the 11th of September 2001 in New York needs no
elaboration.
It’s high time we all woke up and acted. Condolence messages
might have the best of intent, but to those who have been directly and
indirectly affected by such acts, these messages will sound hollow and
meaningless, just like the fire brigade arriving after the house has been
totally gutted. Terrorism has long since ceased to be a problem for just one
nation. As is evident from the events in Paris, even the most powerful and
developed nations now find themselves victims of anti-social elements who can
wreak havoc at will without prior warning. We have to recognize terrorism as a
global problem and come together to crush those responsible. Until we do,
attacks like these will become more regular. What is more frightening is not
the fact that these attacks will continue, but the fact that we will become
immune to them (as we have to many other atrocities nowadays), which will only
serve to encourage the perpetrators. We have to join hands and eliminate
terrorism from the core. Until then, none of us is going to be safe and sound.
(Apologies if my blog sounds like some clichéd political
diatribe)
But then again, there are always two sides to the same coin.
While an infamous terrorist organization has already claimed
responsibility for the heinous act, France has declared this incident as an act
of war. French President Hollande has vowed to punish those responsible for
this incident and has promised to act ‘ruthlessly’ to crush all enemies of
state. This could just be the beginning of what could be a vicious circle and a
dark chapter in French history. How France brings to book those responsible for
this act is yet to be seen. It won’t take much to figure out that members of a
particular religion will be targeted and persecuted. For the actions of a
guilty few, many innocents must suffer the trauma of suspicion and hate. This
in turn will lead to more dissension and hatred among those affected. This will
lead to further repercussions. Need I say more?
This does not mean letting the perpetrators go off the hook.
Go after them by all means but watch out for collateral damage. To the French
Government I humbly request: if you see the guilty hiding behind a number of
innocents, do not attack them or mow them down ruthlessly just to reach the
guilty. Instead, move quietly till you trap and isolate the guilty party and
then ruthlessly tear them apart. Ensure that no innocent gets harmed in the
process. That’s easier said than done of course.
To those responsible for this dastardly act I say only this:
What were you hoping to achieve? Have you come any closer to your objectives? Do
you think you have redeemed yourself in the eyes of your maker? Are you still
under this deluded belief that these kind of acts will guarantee you a spot in
heaven?
Hatred breeds only hatred. As Ben Kingsley stated in the film 'Gandhi', ‘An eye
for an eye makes the whole world blind’.
When will this end, if ever?
I appeal to all:
Let there be Sanity, let there be love. Let no innocent
suffer.
Above all, let there be everlasting peace.
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