Kashmir Terror Attack: Emphasising Unity And Support For Security Forces In The Face Of Terror

Another dastardly terrorist attack in Kashmir, albeit after a long time. It is easy to blame intelligence failure, to blame our forces for what has happened, but the fact remains that you can pre-empt fifty attacks and nobody will know about it. Only the one that gets through will make world news. That's exactly what the terrorists wanted.

Why are we writing this in a spiritual context? Because there is a religious and spiritual dimension to this. Let us stop claiming that terror has no religion, as the terrorists themselves proved they were looking for non-Islamic victims, especially Hindu victims. They checked ID cards, even pulled down people's pants to examine their private parts and asked them to recite the Quran. So, it is very clear that this is the role of Islamic fundamentalism. Let us call a spade a spade. For too long, we have been trying to whitewash this fact.

Regarding the nation’s security, the military and the political leadership will do what is necessary. This is not a weak government, and the army has been given a free hand to respond.

Spiritually, the most important thing one needs to do is not to give in to fear. An attack like this creates fear, and the media inadvertently contributes to it by playing up horrific details. Of course, they have to report, but they have to be careful about the headlines.

It's important for the common person to remain courageous in spite of the fear they feel, to pray for the Sadgati of the people who have been martyred. One can even pray that this type of thinking, that a kafir can be killed, will not gain more currency in the world.

We can do whatever we can to strengthen the hands of the government and the security forces. Even a simple acknowledgement and gratitude for their service goes a long way in boosting their morale. Let us do what each of us can in our own way. Those of us who can do more, either publicly or quietly, let us do that as well.

The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com