Essays

Terrorism is a problem which many countries have been continuously facing for decades, but now it has emerged as a 'global' problem against which an internationally united battle has to be fought incessantly. Violent behaviour in order to create an atmosphere of fear in the society or a part of it for misplaced political ends is generally termed as Terrorism. It is an organized and systematic use of violence to achieve an unrealistic end. Many a times words like terrorism, insurgency, civil war, revolution, guerilla war, intimidation and extremism are often used interchangeably. Though they differ in kind and meaning, one thing is fundamental to all - the word 'violence'. For instance, great practitioners of fear and violence like Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao etc cannot be called Terrorists. Moreover, violence used for personal gains like dacoity or robbery cannot be termed as Terrorism. Terrorism, as understood in the simplest sense always aims at a target group for death and destruction of property through acts of violence and a perverted political purpose- It is also illegal and unlawful in nature, as such acts are done with a purpose of creating fear and panic in the minds and psyche of people at large, to make the masses feel impotent and helpless, to discourage rational thinking and to lead to a reactionary tendency amongst the people.

Terrorists resort to various ways to accomplish these aims like - planting crude home-made bombs, hand-grenades or other explosives in shopping centres or a crowded place like a railway-station or a bus stand or even a bus, train or aeroplane; kidnapping, assassination or hijacking. Different terrorist activities all over the world may have different aims, but a few goals, common to all, may be underlined. It may be because they want a regime to react or they intend to gain mass support by creating fear and panic, or to eliminate their opponents and enemies, or to magnify their cause.

Terrorism in India, is essentially a political creation. The cross-border militancy in Kashmir, the Naxalite violence in Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh all have their narrow and distorted political goals. The problem of identity led to terrorism in Nagaland and Mizoram, vengeance1 became the cause of terrorism in Manipur and Tripura while 'class-enemity' erupted Naxalite violence in different parts of Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The blowing up of the Air India Boeing 'Kanishka' killed nearly 300 innocent people, the violence against Common Kashmir! populace, the Naxalite insurgency are all ugly faces of the demon of terrorism.

The attack on Parliament in India on December 13, 2001 or the attack on the Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir on October 1, 2001 or the attack on American Information Centre in Kolkata on January 22, 2002 were all handiworks of terrorists, 26/11' or the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which continued for four days, targeted more than 10 locations across Mumbai and killed 164 people; the 2006 Mumbai bomb blasts, Samjhauta Express bombings in 2007, the 2007 Hyderabad attacks, the 2010 Pune bombings, the 2010 Varanasi bombings—the endless list indicates the threat to humanity. These attacks are intended to capture National and International attention. But these latest attacks have been made to challenge the symbols of democracy and prosperity. The inhuman massacre of innocent human beings reveals the sadistic indulgence of anti-social, anti-human and anti-peace elements who claim to act under the false garb of Islam or Jehad.

Terrorism is one of the major threats to world peace toady. Terrorist activities of the Irish Republican Army, Red Army in Japan, Palestinian Guerrillas in Israel, Kurds in Iraq, Basques in Spain, Red Brigade in Italy etc are all instances of terrorism all over the world. The terrorist attack on World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in USA on September 11. 2001, the siege of innocent children as hostages in Russia etc indicate at the growing magnitude of this problem. However, to combat terrorism, US conducted a firelight attack in Pakistan in 2011 and killed Osama bin Laden, the most hunted man in the world and the mastermind of the devastating 9/11 attack on America.

The world has to unite in order to face this growing menace of terrorism. The world cannot survive with prosperity under the continous threat of fear, violence and bloodshed. Thus, strict measures and serious efforts should be made to end violence and shedding of the innocent blood.