Terror in our backyards

The serial blasts in Assam should ring alarm bells in Meghalaya. The state is just three hours away from the scene of the blasts. Nevertheless the bombs did claim a few victims from Meghalaya because today borders between states are blurring. On any given day there are hundreds of people from Meghalaya who travel to Guwahati for various reasons. The city is an educational centre, a medical capital and a commercial hub popularised by all North Eastern states. While some of the seven states are quite used to the shock and trauma of bomb blasts having lived under the shadow of terrorism, Meghalaya is ill-prepared mentally and physically to handle such eventualities should they strike. This is not a doomsday prediction but a note of caution that terror also knows no boundaries. Assam is acquainted with the idea of living on the edge having braved terror for over two decades. Despite that the macabre Thursday incident has left people feeling absolutely powerless and dispirited. It will take some time for the people of Assam to get back to their feet. What the merchants of terror have succeeded to do this time is to break the spirit of the people. Nothing can be worse than this! Terrorism is a complex phenomenon. At times it is an ideological thing that sprouts out from deep hurts and perceived injustices. At other times it is an expression of belligerence by the periphery against the nation state. September 11 was a manifestation of the injured psyche of a particular religious group. That this religious group is now identified with all acts of terror is not a healthy thing to happen because stereotyping has its own repercussions. It tends to push even the moderate forces to adopt confrontational postures. In a country where secularism has been defined differently at different times and has thus lost its essence, it is important for the voices of moderation to take centre stage. There is too much at stake if every Indian begins to identify or be identified by her/his faith. There is more to be gained from coming together and analysing the problem with objectivity. Labeling one group as terrorists or potential terrorists will only polarise their world view and harden their stances. There are far too many Indians today who feel slighted by mindless accusations that they are bomb makers and that they owe their loyalty to a country beyond India. We presume too much when we make such allegations. However, the fact that the North East is today heavily infiltrated by people from across the borders should not be lost sight of especially by those in charge of running our governments. Strategies to curb influx need to be put in place without further ado. We have wasted far too much time on useless imponderables. Now is the time to act. source: the shillong times