How to Respond to Terrorism

(Published in Banking Services Chronicle September 2005)

A certain M Kumar from New Delhi writes in a letter to the editor of The Week: “There is no justification for terrorism. And terrorists cannot be reformed. Therefore, all terrorists must be killed.” If there could have been so simplistic reasoning and solution, terrorism would never have become a problem. The truth is that, like most other problems in the world, it too cannot be viewed simplistically.

There is no denying the gravity of terrorism. It not only wipes away its immediate victims but also impacts the later generations. This would become clear from an ongoing research in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by Dr Akash Yousuf Khan. In a study of 70 children in Kashmir in the age group of 3-16 years who have witnessed a shocking incident directly, or have had it narrated to them, his observations are worrying. He has found that 64.28 per cent of the children suffered from somatic complications like loss of appetite, altered sleep patterns or headache. 21.42 per cent performed badly in school while 17.8 per cent lost interest in all activities. As many as 32.14 per cent showed an increased outburst of anger.

If the problem is so grave, it has to be dealt with seriously. But we have a tendency to show knee-jerk reaction. When there was an attack at Ayodhya recently, Hindutva organisations started fuming against it. The Opposition tried to cash in on the precarious situation. The blame game seemed to have started.

Such reactions only go on to serve the purpose of the terrorists. Because this is what they seek: to divide the nation, to fragment the world. So that they can fish in troubled waters. So that they may move forward towards the attainment of their notional goals. In other words, we get caught in the trap they set for us.

Most of the times we come up with retaliatory measures. When Osama’s men bombed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York on 9/11, the US decided to teach Afghanistan a lesson. The US thought it had put out the fire by pouring water over it. But they forgot the smouldering embers which have the capacity to be re-ignited into the fire of terrorism.

In fact, the terrorists gain mileage from the retaliatory measures. They tell the followers that what they have witnesed is an unjust retribution for a just Cause. And so there is all the more reason to fight for the Cause or even die for it. The indoctrination that the Cause is greater than the individual leads to the emergence of suicide bombers.

In sharp contrast to the Indian and American responses discussed above stands the British response. Call it the response in the gentlemanly tradition or that of a nation of shopkeepers, the British response to 7/7 has certainly been a mature one. The UK has neither ignored the crisis nor blown it out of proportions.

While the police have been prompt to get hold of the culprits, life in London has soon returned back to normal. There is caution in the air but no panic. The politicians and the media have both exercised restraint.

Though one can’t predict the events, it is most likely that 7/7 would not spiral into further terrorist activities. Because the terrorists here have not been successful in their divisive endeavour. They have been met with a solid response from a nation solidly behind Mr Tony Blair in this hour of crisis.

Again, maturity also demands that the reason behind terrorism be identified and addressed. M Kumar is true in saying that “there is no justification for terrorism.” But reason is not the same as justification. And so you can’t run away from the reason and wish terrorism away.

Also, whether terrorists can be reformed may be a topic of debate. But killing the terrorists indiscriminately will only aggravate the situation.