By Herrmann Kaur
In the present world, we all are too familiar with the term ‘terrorism’ as it brings forth memories of brutal attacks on humanity and makes us question, ‘ Is this what mankind has stooped down to?’ No matter how hard we try but the flashbacks of an absolute destruction of trust, faith and belief still echoes in our hearts.
Even today, as we recall the 26/11 attack and 9/11 attacks, a spine chilling remembrance of how the feelings of altruism, goodness, and rectitude were shattered, is triggered. It wasn’t just an attack on the mortality of man but also on the very essence of one’s ‘being’. On December 27, 2001, a Bin Laden video was released. In the video, he justified the traumatic devastation by saying, “terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for Israel, which kills our people…We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether Bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead.” As a result of the attack on the US, the security forces of the world have put in their best efforts to combat terrorism and have been coming up with ways to deal with such horrendous acts of barbarism. In India, however, there have been reported cases of terrorist activities even after the Mumbai attacks, which surely indicates that there might be some loopholes in the system of governance. People like Ajmal Kasab and Osama bin Laden are a slap on the face of peace and brotherhood but at the same time, they serve as a lesson for us to be extra cautious and protect the land we call our own.
Since we all live in a realistic world, it is necessary for us to understand that no man is born either bad or corrupt, it’s the circumstances and situations that make him so. Sometimes, it can be argued that it is the sheer helplessness of some people who are forced to participate in such terrorist activities or join such terrorist groups. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, Be the change you want to see in the world’, it is our duty as citizens to not turn a blind eye towards these situations of terrorism but rather take a stand and fight for what we rightfully believe in. At the end of the day, we all need to accept the fact that it is ‘not the spirit of a particular state or a country’ that needs to be reinforced after such cowardly attacks on humanity but the political system and the management concerned should see it as a moral obligation towards mankind to do the needful so that the history doesn’t repeat itself. Just like Michael Jackson wrote in his song, ‘heal the world’, let us all pledge to make the world a better place for the entire human race.
The author was born in New Delhi. She is twenty one years old and is doing her graduation from Delhi University with English Honors. She is very passionate about writing and considers reading different genres of novels as her favorite pass-time. She wants to be a journalist and loves listening to music. Her favorite novel is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She has a literature background as her mother gave her a literary exposure at a very young age. Her maternal uncle is her true inspiration as he always encourages her to follow her passion and dream of becoming a successful writer in the near future.