Recent events in places like Pahalgam and Murshidabad have shaken many of us to the core. The brutality, the deliberate targeting, and the sheer inhumanity of the acts committed are beyond comprehension.
Let us be honest with ourselves — those who were attacked were not just innocent tourists or residents. They were targeted because of their identity. The victims were Hindus. Their religion was verified in the most humiliating ways, and then they were executed at point-blank range. There is no justification for such cruelty, and no words can soothe the pain of the families left behind.
In Murshidabad, the violence took on a horrifyingly organised form. Homes were pre-marked. Families were dragged out, their possessions burned, and even their livestock destroyed. Two individuals — Haro Gobindo Das and Chandan Das — tragically lost their lives in the violence. Their names and their suffering must not be forgotten.
While these acts were carried out by extremists, we must not fall into the trap of painting entire communities with the same brush. Terror has no religion — but we must also not be blind to patterns of radicalisation and organised hatred, wherever they arise. These events are not just isolated incidents; they are reminders of what happens when humanity succumbs to fanaticism.
At the same time, this is also a wake-up call for us as a society. As Hindus, we often find ourselves divided by caste, by language, by class, or by politics. But those who perpetrate such violence against us do not make these distinctions. To them, we are one, and until we recognise this and stand united in our grief, strength, and values, we remain vulnerable.
We need justice. We need accountability. And above all, we need unity, not against a community, but against hatred and extremism in every form. Let us remember the victims not only with sorrow but with resolve. Let their deaths not be in vain.
This write-up is my silent protest against all inhuman acts of these terror-loving people, whose only aim is to create fear in this beautiful world. May the Almighty show them the correct path and guide them with love and care for mankind.
@Spondon Ganguli, April 2025