Terror a six letter English word has many synonyms, like fear, fright, scare, shock, dread, panic, horror anything that leads to misery, pain, agony and discomfort in any form. The percentage of agony, misery and pain determines the percentage of terror, how horrid it is.
What struck me was why sudden? Is terror a current phenomenon that shot up post WTC incident or taking a few paces back, lets say the Kashmir insurgency or is it something that has been a part of us from time unknown. Isn’t the Kalinga War of Ashoka The Great an act of terrorism on the then state of Kalinga? Even that war had led to massive killings and total destruction. Isn’t the Atom Bomb dropping on Hiroshima, an act of terrorism? Even today years after the incident kids are born defective as their ancestors had to suffer radiations. Did Madame Curie do any crime by discovering radium and radiation?
On second thoughts is terror or terrorism, just limited to war, killing and bloodshed? Most of the reviews that I have read in MS on this topic are US, IRAQ, OSAMA, KASHMIR and PAKISTAN centric, these are the issues that have been spoken more often and have received publicity. Going by the definition or synonyms of terror I guess its not. Terror is much deep rooted within us, within our system than it appears to be. I would rather like to discuss some other forms of terror that exists and have existed. My review is India and Indian society oriented, as I don’t consider myself knowledgeable enough to write on issues of the world as whole.
Going by definition, anything that causes agony, pain, discomfort and death is a cause of terror. Percentages of agony may vary and determine the percentage of terror or terrorism.
Social terror, feudal terror
The entire, social structure in our country is widely divided into religions, caste, class and several other big or small barricades. An entire village comprising of, so-called lower caste or class people is massacred by so-called upper class and vice versa. May be there’s feud between a handful of people on both sides but a larger mass has to suffer. These are raised on media, legislative assemblies and on several other occasions but the terror doesn’t end they reoccur. We have special quotas for the scheduled caste and tribes, even here it’s only the elite SC or ST who enjoys the privilege, the real needy ones suffer, a cause of discomfort.
Recently, a young boy had to loose both his eyes on a dispute over a meager thing! Where are we living?
Another form of social terror though very common but less publicized is female foeticide. Just imagine a mother who bears the baby for nine months has to part her baby off just because it’s a girl. Oh! Now it is easier and the process is not nine months long, all you need to do is a medical test and an abortion. Isn’t it a gruesome murder of the baby and a psychological death for the mother? The process doesn’t end here, she again has to bear a next time in hope of a son. And the process of murder continues. It sounds as if I am talking of the nineteenth century, but my friends this prevails even today.
In our society, when a girl is born, even before her name is kept the parents worry about her dowry. Yes another form of Social terror, young brides being brutally burnt alive for inability to meet the greedy demands of the inlaws. It’s a very common newspaper clipping, often read and forgotten. It is a cause of terror for the parents and also for the newly wed bride. Social terror is beyond limits. Lets talk of something else.
Religious terror
X religion fears that Y religion is converting people from X religion and the reverse and this leads to war, terror, agony, pain etc etc. Do we really need a media to communicate to GOD? Isn’t GOD there for every soul in HIS world, did HE not create all of us? Can’t we just pray and love GOD without the preachers? Is GOD that far away from us and close to them who consider themselves as HIS messengers? Do we at all need a religion, can’t we all just believe in a supreme power called GOD, ALLAH, ISHWAR, MASSIAH, JESUS or by any other name, say SUN or the solar system, the supreme power or the Nature, for which we are here. Religion has not led us to anything good but separation, hatred and a cause of terror worldwide.
I highly condemn the Devdasi, tradition prevailing in many parts of our country. Isn’t it prostitution in the name of GOD, religious prostitution? There must be other similar examples in other religions too that have not made it to the newspapers, thankfully.
Educational terror
Tagore, if alive would have killed himself for writing –
Where the mind is without fear, and the head is held high…
Where Knowledge is Free…
Knowledge in the country of knowledgeable past has become an ecstasy of the rich and well to dos. It’s a luxury that only a handful can easily afford. The most eligible candidate doesn’t get admission to an Engineering College for amount of fees he has to pay. The scholarship is given to the minister’s nephew. The parent sells of the land to see his son admitted, on the first day of college the poor child has to face rigorous ragging, he somehow survives and finally succeeds in becoming an engineer but where’s the job? Many others don’t make it to the end they get lost some where in the process. Examination on virtue of trigger, question paper leakage, mark sheets tampered, answer sheets lost and many others to follow. The competition level has gone sky-high that it is becoming a reason of fear for the child, to be unable to deliver his best. Everyone is expected to be the BEST and an All rounder. No wonder in the recent times the student suicide ratio has shot up. The entire process of education has become a mockery in itself. Oh! I forgot when it comes to teaching, preaching is not left behind. History books rewritten. Thankfully I cleared my school days years back.
Sexual and marital terror
It was not many days back; a news channel flashed a weird story a five-year-old kid raped. This is just one of the several incidences that occur everyday. Child sex abuse need not be always from a stranger but strange enough most often its from within the family in form of X, Y or Z. Also, it is not always the girl who is a victim but even young boys are victimized. Age, class, caste or religion doesn’t matter, when it comes to pleasure of ones sexes.
Continued in Comments.
