THE SEKLECTIVE CONDEMNATION OF ‘TERRORISM’
BY: Adv. Masood Peshimam
Terror is an intense threat to the peace in the world. The fight against terror needs to be broad based and incessant and those inflicting terror should not have any space to orchestrate or design their sinister and criminal designs to damage or threaten the lives of the people. Any amount of unleashing of violence cannot be justified under any set of circumstances.
Indian Prime Minister, Narender Modi, while speaking at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at Bishkek in Kyrgystan, demonstrated his passionate adherence in the fight against the specter of the menace of terror. He emphasized upon creating a terror free atmosphere for felicitating the negotiations among the neighbors. His firm resolve to combat terror was endorsed by one and all though the SCO Summit also touched upon the double standards of tackling the theme of terror.
The Summit observed that any prevarication on the subject of terrorism is a matter of deep disillusionment. While dwelling on the subject the specter of state terrorism, quite prevalent with the authoritarian regimes, cannot be overlooked. In what seems to be a conflicting stand by the Indian Govt, the statements of the PM of India mismatched with its previous decision at the UN supporting Israel. Despite all the pious words of global harmony and peace India voted against the Palestinian demand of observer status to some NGO of Palestine.
The observer status was all the more necessary to restrain Israel from perpetrating the worst atrocities against the Palestinians. It is an evident fact that the state of Israel is persecuting the Palestinians at will and even Children are not spared in this campaign of violence. Every other day, schools are demolished on one pretext or the other. The children are arrested and tortured to death. The images of the Palestinian children subjected to horrific violence by Israeli army has attracted the condemnation across the globe and yet, India took this diplomatic step that only goes on to make Israel more arrogant. The situation has gone to such a sickening stage that Bolivia has declared Israel as a ‘terrorist state’ while other Latin American countries have strongly condemned the Israeli crimes and misdemeanors.
Similar situation is witnessed by Rohingya Muslims at the hands of Myanmar army. The Rohingya Muslims are facing the worst violent backlash by the army and the natives. Here, our stand is prevaricating and unclear. The war against terrorism is all the more needed with all the vigour and strength but at the same time one cannot afford to close eyes on the state terrorism perpetuated in several places. The yawning gap between principle and practice must not grow in to a deep chasm!
