Terror Tuesday

Posted on 7/12/2006 Post Comment -

Once again I return to the topic of terrorism. It is a nightmare that visits us ever so often. Finding it next to impossible or highly risky to target politicians or security installations, these anarchists choose to target the innocent and the defenceless.

 

As many as eight tourists, including women, were killed in grenade attacks in Srinagar, capital of the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir. Just when tourism, the mainstay of the state's economy, was looking up, they had to strike. The message is clear. They  want  to deprive the people of their livelihood so that disgruntled elements could be recruited into their suicide squads.

 

And what happens to the causes they so fierecly  espouse? Every action of terror is met with increased determination of the authorities not to yield even an inch of ground. They also ailenate their own people who get tired of having to bear the repurcussions of  their actions.

 

Then the terrorists move into new areas, preferably big cities and indulge in low risk operations like placing explosives in trains or at public places. But once again they fail in their purpose as the people, picking up the pieces treat it as yet another accident and move on.

 

At best, all they can hope for is that a particular community becomes identified with them and the country slips into a communal conflagaration. But they forget that such things do not happen in mature democracies.