Is it just me, or have other people also noticed that the threat of terrorism is more fictional than real? I mean given the amount of news coverage it gets as well as the draconian measures the government is taking to “prevent” it, one should assume that it’s a major cause of mayhem in the country right? I mean we don’t see this hysteria when a million Indians die of smoking related diseases every year do we? Or when the number of “road rage” killings increases exponentially?
One would think that if the government really cared about lives, it would strictly implement its “no smoking in public” ban to protect secondary smokers and make the procedure for getting driving licenses more streamlined and fair. But when it comes to terrorism, suddenly all common sense goes out the window. It kills a mere handful of people every year. Statistically, more people are hit by lightning than die of terrorism! So why the big hoopla?
It’s hysteria – nothing more. And governments around the world are delighted. It gives them a perfect excuse to implement measures to control the population and strip away precious civil liberties which our forefathers have shed their blood to earn. POTA, AFSPA, the US’s Patriot Act, the government wanting to listen in on our private communications, strip searches at airports. And what’s the payoff? Maybe…maybe 10 fewer people will die. Is that worth the rest of us giving up our freedoms? I think that’s a very poor bargain.
And don’t tell me that I’ve never lost a loved one in a terrorist attack and that I wouldn’t be so smug if I did. A mother who loses her child in an car accident might feel like banning all cars. What does that prove? Those directly affected by a tragedy are hardly the most neutral ones to talk about it.
I feel sick watching the Indian government use the bogey of “Thuh Terrists!” to demand to listen in to our private conversations without a court order! When I see the touching faith that people have in the government to not misuse their shiny new powers, I would laugh…if I wasn’t also crying inwardly. Is it so damn easy to lead us like sheep without brains of our own? So convenient no?
Mark my words, now that governments know how profitable it is to keep the populace in perpetual fear, this terrorism threat will never go away. We’ll be continually told that it’s an unsafe world and that we need to be protected for our own good and that in the end civil liberties aren’t really worth lives are they?
Except that they are. The liberties we enjoy today cost buckets of blood to obtain. There’s a price to be paid for living in a free country and if that price is a miniscule risk of dying in a terror attck, then so be it! Smoking, accidents…lightning – what’s another small little threat eh?
Let’s show some spine for a change and not give the terrorists what they want – which is to spread terror. Irrational terror. 26/11 in Mumbai put most Indians into a funk. But if we continue down the path we’re going, the terrorists have already won.
This post’s title reminds me the documentary called Zeitgeist. Have you watched it? It’s has two parts. Recommended!
And yes, it’s hysteria only! Most likely deliberated by the governments to facilitate their private agenda, whatever that is!
In reply to Darshan Chande
//A mother who loses her child in an car accident might feel like banning all cars. What does that prove? Those directly affected by a tragedy are hardly the most neutral ones to talk about it.
That is very, very much spot on!! Great!
In reply to Darshan Chande
I’ve heard about Zeitgist and was always meaning to watch it, but never got around to it. I’ll make sure to read it now. Thanks for dropping by :)
It’s just a way to control people. Keeping people in fear allows more control, because when the masses are afraid it prevents them from thinking critically. So of course, people won’t question whether it’s right if our civil liberties are being lost, to them, they’ll sacrifice in the name of safety.
Remember the anthrax scare? The last time I heard, only about five people died from anthrax, but I remember people being scared half the death of it.
In reply to RenKiss
The Anthrax example is a good one :) . When people are scared, they’re willing to sacrifice anything in order to feel safe and will sell their precious liberties cheaply.
There’s always a struggle between citizens and the government with the government wanting more power to control and the citizens struggling to restrict it. “Terrorism” has just tipped the balance in the government’s favor.
I agree. I have always wondered about how seriously terror attacks and also selling and buying of drugs are taken…
You are absolutely right on this one.
I think not only does it give a reason to govt. to violate civil liberties but also it results in fear related “economic” activity and of course in suppressing dissent !
I hope you don’t get me wrong,
I as a citizen do see terrorism as a havoc and true, sincere, to the point measures are the need of the hour. We must as active learned citizens wake up and demand from the government stringent actions so that such things do not occur gain.
I remember statement of Mr.George Bush after sep. 9/11 attacks. those countries who are not with us on terrorism ,will be deemed to be with the terrorists.
I wish our government too should also become bold and safeguard its countrymen.
In reply to pramod
Thanks for coming on Pramod. Why do you feel terrorism is a greater menace than say rash driving?
While going through your blog, I could not find your views on any of these – Deganga riots, Bareilley riots, takeover of Assam by intruders, Manipur blockade, and Varanasi Blast.
What are your views on these? I am asking these questions here since, I feel, they are pertinent to the the topic under discussion.
In reply to Raj
Deganga Riots – 1 person killed
Bareilley Riots – No evidence of anyone dying
Varanasi Blast – 1 person died
Don’t call communal riots terrorism. Even I don’t call the Godhra riots by that name. Terrorism is very specific in meaning – enemies of the state engaging in violence just to cause “terror.” None of the riots you’ve mentioned classify as terrorism. Just ask any common person what they think of when you say “terrorist” and you’ll have your answer.
Look at the number of people killed in the Varanasi blast. Just one. These are the terrorists you’re so afraid of? More people die when a bridge collapses! As for the naxals etc., they are a threat no doubt, but the government doesn’t call it terrorism and most people don’t think of Naxals when scared of “terrorism”
–Terrorism is bigger in scale as compared to a rash driving incident in the sense that one rash driving incident affects one person or family . A terrorist incident has potential to affect thousands of life in one incident.
–Rash driving is not a mass ideological consequence, terrorism mostly is.
So i do not find the comparison apt.
On a different note , you sound like – Not in my backyard … Once you live in a place where the threat starts affecting your daily routine, you realize it.
I myself agree with this analogy that if one person jumps from Qutub Minar, it is not a reason to block it for all tourists by identifying it as a threat. But then terrorism is widespread it can affect anything , anyplace, anytime which makes it different from any other threat.
In reply to Aditya
I seems we disagree over the scale of terrorism. When a railway accident occurs, it kills more people in one shot than 10 terror attacks combined. And they’re much more frequent too. For example, in 1981, 800 people in a train died when it fell into a river. That’s five 26/11s!
In reality, terror attacks kill just a handful of people. The recent hoopla over the Varanasi blasts which killed just one person is an example! Terrorism is ideological, true. But it’s relatively harmless. We have bigger things to worry about – like trains not crashing.
And yet the government doesn’t put 1/10th of its effort into stopping train accidents as it does over terrorism. The media also doesn’t seem to realize that hardly anyone ever dies of terrorism and yet it gets disproportionate coverage.
The terrorists have really won.
By killing just one or two people now and then they can get a huge return on their investment. No wonder they keep attacking!
Terrorism isn’t a daily part of anyone’s life in India. It becomes a daily part only if people keep thinking about it. I can die in a car crash tomorrow. So what? The bridge I cross can easily fall down in India and kill dozens of people (as it does every month in India!) That doesn’t mean I live in a state of constant fear whenever I cross a bridge. We Indians have never really cared about lives lost. If we did, we would not be so concerned about terrorism.
“Terrorism is ideological, true. But it’s relatively harmless.”
I don’t know how to react at the audacity of your assertions! All over the world acts of terrorism are destroying peace and lives of common people, and this is what you choose to say.
According to you there is un-necessary hype over Varanasi blasts. — So, should we take such acts in our stride and just get on with our lives without uttering a word about such acts?
Comparing a bigger tragedy with a smaller one you are trying to belittle the message hidden in such acts.
In your response you have not said anything about Assam, which is very fast becoming another Kashmir, that too with the active support of the ruling party!
An act of terror is one that terrorizes people – killing or no killing. Bareiiley, Deganga, Varanasi are acts of terror. If you do not think so, it is a convoluted perception, which is one of the reasons why this country is such a sitting duck for all acts of aggression.
Your assertions hurt the sensibilities of the peace loving people of this country! You are giving twist to words and figures and trying to make them say what they are not saying!
This is all I have to say – one can wake up a sleeping person, but not the one who has kept his eyes wide shut!
Thanks.
In reply to Raj
Accidents also destroy the peace and lives of people. Why should terrorism get special treatment? Just one person died in the Varanasi blasts. Get over it.
If you get terrified of the “terrorists” then you’re giving them exactly what they want. I suggest you calm down and think of more serious problems India has. The peace loving citizens of India should do the same.
In reply to bhagwad
Does India have serious problems apart from terrorism? – Yes
Is the curtailment of civil liberties beyond a point objectionable? – Yes
But saying that we should “get over” the Varanasi blasts or any other terrorist act is hardly right. Yes we should remember that only n lives were lost. And it is best that the media coverage and public reaction stays within appropriate limits. But this threat stays small only as long as we keep it that way. In spite of reports that talk about an intelligence failure each time something happens, our ‘frequently-failing’ intelligence does in fact get hold of would-be attackers reasonably often. No I don’t want to give up my freedom and hysteria is a bad idea and you are right about that. But please be a little more careful in choosing your words. Making valid points but being careless about phrasing is good for getting irate comments and not much else.
Also the “deliberate act of terrorism vs accidents” point: Careless people and infrastructure that badly needs improvement are definitely things we need to work on to reduce accidents. But how the f does that mean we don’t worry about other things. Quoting Padma Chandran from a comment further below on the page : “A group of people who think that other’s religion, policy, thoughts or way of live are wrong and the only punishment for them is death, start attacking innocent people in a society — if you think that is just a hype or a better option than losing your liberty, i would ask you to have a sound sleep and clear your head. smoking, drinking, lightning and terrorism ?” Terrorism is people actively killing other people – not inadvertently, not by being careless or neglectful or corrupt. What government would not take it up as a priority? The metric of numbers is better applied to situations that are of similar nature.
There – some logic for you. Once again, I agree with your points on overreaction, but please be a little more discerning.
In reply to Anshuman
Agreed – we can’t be selective about the threats we choose to address and nor can we get complacent.
This just complete ramification of truth, in this case two terms Islamic Terrorism and Islamic Extremism comes under different lens but in general both are used synonymously, this is the best example of manipulating statistics(BTW this statistics shows just 10% of the real picture), Terrorism and Extremism exist every where in the World in the form of termination of Innocent humans by a particular RACE who thinks there believe in GOD is the only truth. Coming to the Statistics part every now and then in every part of India without any provocation some violence happens which Media will not publish (eg:- Riots in Hyderabad Mar-April 2010, Deganga Riots 2010, Kerala the list is very big) as it will show the Extremist people’s real picture who are used as a Trump card by the ruling party since Independence, this all happens because the CORE of extremism as this does not happen just in India it happens every where in the World where So called followers of Religion of Peace lives (eg:- France Communal Violence 2006, Germany, Spain, UK……). The world should have listened to Jinnah 65 years ago the very words (its very true) that caused Partition of India when he said “Islam Cannot Co-Exist, it does not have the concept of co-existence”, so it will be best for the human race that extremist should be confined to there territories but they will not they want hatred to spread on the name of Religion of Peace. If you think I am wrong then just think once again how much different and peaceful this world would have been had the Religion of Peace did not exist, there would have been no such word as Terrorism………..