THE China Virus! spouted Trump, every time he opened his mouth about Covid-19, and now with Afghanistan taken over by terrorists, terror may get a new name: Virus-T! The world looks fearfully at the world’s most difficult terrain to conquer as a land that will soon be a refuge for terrorism, world over.
That may be so, but no terrorism, unless it’s in the form of the Nine Eleven attacks can ever take place unless there are sleeper cells who are woken up and help terrorists forward.
We remember the ghastly and horrible attack on the World Trade Centre, and though America has the resources to fortify itself now, what happens to countries not as well off as America? What happens when we have non-functional surveillance cameras, unmanned security posts, unguarded coasts, bribable policemen, and finally are sitting ducks for Virus-T? Do we just raise our arms in total surrender? Do we make threatening noises to neighbours? Or do we work on a strategy that can weaken this Virus-T outside our doorstep?
In Mumbai, and I am sure other cities, when courts take too long to deliver justice, wronged citizens start going to the offices of local near goonda political parties.
After hearing the wronged citizen out, the goondas speedily deliver justice using threats, coercion and muscle. Wronged people are happy, political parties get new voters and in the minds of most everybody, justice has been delivered.
Terror sadly works more or less the same way. The aspiring terrorist is fed with news and videos of hideous crimes and atrocities against innocent people of his community, till filled with zeal, hate and a heightened sense of revenge he offers himself as a retribution mechanism.
We need a vaccine strategy! A vaccine strategy which urgently, sees our judicial system delivers not just justice, but speedy verdicts.
A vaccine strategy where we start shutting mouths and shackling the fists of those bullying others who can’t stand up to them because their numbers are less.
Because, that lack of numbers which allows a lynching incident, a rape or communal mob attack will soon see cowardly acts of so-called justice, delivered through the terror virus.
Today, exactly twenty years after the most horrific terror attack in history, we are fearfully making overtures and friendly gestures to the Taliban in Afghanistan.
What a waste of time, to bow to men and women who love the brutal power of the bullet and whose word means nothing.
Instead, let us guard our tongues and fists, and the tongues and fists of those whom we have elected, and suddenly we will have a new and highly effective vaccine against Virus-T! After all we are the vaccine makers of the world, so let us lead the way..!
