“40 CRPF soldiers died after a terrorist attack in the Pulwama district of Kashmir”, the headlines went on news scroll, the evening following my birthday. On 14th February 2019, when the world was celebrating love, a certain group of people had decided to spread hatred and violence – a convoy of vehicles, carrying our Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Jawans, were attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber. Busy with the preparations for my board exams, I had not paid attention to what was happening around the world for a long time. However, this one caught my attention. The Pulwama attack, where 40 soldiers had died for no reason, was more than a shock to me. Most of the soldiers were just returning from vacation, many more had spoken to their dear ones hours ago and one was even talking to his wife on the phone when this devastating attack took place. Imagine the shock of that wife who was talking to her husband and in few minutes the TV news scroll came up with a ‘heart’ breaking news!

Terrorism-to instil terror is more than just a mere word today. It has affected world peace at large. For a futile ideological gain, many innocent people are dying and many families are being affected. Stamping of boots, constant firing of shells and conflict in the air are not my mornings, but these are the mornings of many kids of my age, in different parts of the world. With little concern for human lives, terrorist groups keep on continuing their activities with an objective to spread ‘fear?’ We get to see glimpses of it here and there almost every day. Terrorism not only kills people and removes peace out of their lives, but also affects any nation as a whole. Such confrontations have always been a deep concern for everyone around the world, be it the government, the affected or a common-man. Many countries are being avoided because of the growing terrorist activities. Every human being has the right to live peacefully and lead a life of dignity. However, a peaceful solution to this inhumane killing and terrorist activities by various militant groups seem to be far away from reality. Many attempts of peace, by the United Nations and other organisations, have gone in vain.

Thinking about all these make me wonder what gain these terrorists actually expect by spreading hatred and death. The ideology of terror has gone deep throughout the world, that even the warnings from intelligence agencies and the precautionary measures taken are all in vain at times, by which we feel that the task of curbing terrorism is so not possible. I wonder how they manage to get hold of the most modern weaponry: the funds that could be used for the betterment of common-man life.

India, like any other nation, fights its own battles against terrorism throughout the country. Even though India is a traveller’s heaven, terrorism has affected tourism and this in turn has affected the inflow of foreign exchange. Terrorism has also created many loopholes in the economic, social and political stability of the country. I guess, many people get trapped into insurgency in India due to unemployment and poverty. It is like people, especially the youth, are ready to do any sort of bidding for money. Terrorists groups from neighbouring countries have also influenced such activities in Kashmir and surrounding states.

The valley of Kashmir has remained in a state of unrest ever since I remember. Starting from the hatred and injustice towards the Kashmiri pundits, to the recent conflicts like the Pulwama attack, it has been decades since the state of Kashmir has seen peace. Their lives are constantly delimited by shellings and curfews. The Pulwama attack and its aftermath could be considered as one of the recent turmoils, but there were many heard and unheard ones before this. Many innocent people have died and so have many soldiers. They died because of someone else felt a goal being achieved through violence and death.

Terrorism in the North-Eastern states of India is many a times synonymously considered as insurgency. The geographical difference, the ethnical diversity among people and the socio-economic reasons fed the cause. It is said that they have an alienated feel, the feeling that they are different from rest of the Indians. Constant fights with the government often ends up in an insurgent group attacking the Indian soldiers at the borders. Inter-tribal fights are also common. Indian government has to deal with and tackle some fractions who demand autonomous rule and the inflow of migrants at the border. All these has led to political instability in the North-Eastern states. I must say that while the majority trust Indian democracy, a few who spread hatred cause all the trouble.

Going back, the 2008 Mumbai attack is another example of a terrorist attack that lasted for 4 days of shooting and bombing across Mumbai, telling us that this group of militants are everywhere. When the attackers targeted iconic place like Taj Hotel, innocent employees and labourers who were the pillar of support for many families and naïve citizens of the country were killed; no justification made by any can satisfy my mind. The recent attack on a church in Sri Lanka on a blessed day like Easter was yet another devastating news I heard this year.