By now, everyone must know of the attack that took place at the school in Peshawar a couple days ago. In any case, the gist of it is, Taliban entered a school and gunned down 141 innocent people, out of which 132 were children. Let that sink in. One hundred and thirty two. Children with their entire lives ahead of them, children who were perfectly innocent. It is beyond horrific. That school in Peshawar no longer has a Grade 9, save for one student, who overslept and didn’t attend school. Think about how messed up it is that something as simple as oversleeping can mean the difference between life or death.
This attack was irrational, it was uncalled for, and most importantly, it was a milestone in the death of humanity. Because to be able to walk in and shoot innocent children is despicable, and if someone has the capability of do it, they are devoid of everything that makes them human.
I am against shooting in general, and I don’t believe violence can solve much, but my reasoning is: If someone has done something to you, something grave enough to demand taking his life, then, if you must, shoot him. What you did will not be right, and you will still deserve to go to jail, but at least it will be justified. You had a reason.
My question to the Taliban is: What was your reason for shooting them? For shooting innocent children? Because I cannot figure it out for the life of me.
If the answer is religion, I suggest you look back to your religious texts, to the sayings of your God. Every religion advocates peace, every religion advocates love, and no religion is in support of homicide.
If the answer is power, explain to me how the death of children gives you any power? Their death gets you nowhere.
If the answer is a call for attention, all I have to say is: to hell with you. How dare you use children as a call for attention? How dare you use the death of anybody as a call for attention?
And I will not even address the situation if this was done in “revenge”.
These children had their entire lives ahead of them, and these monsters have robbed them of that. Is no place safe anymore? Is nobody safe? How can we live in a world where going to school becomes a nightmare? Where a person is forced to stand outside the gates while someone they love is possibly getting shot inside? A poem I read (http://krshnaprashant.com/2014/12/17/a-for-apple-b-for-bullet/) shows how a child finds the things he learnt at school, his birthday, and everything else in his life, so meaningless after this attack. That, to me, is sick; to have put the fear of death into him. While the death toll of 9/11 is higher, in my opinion, this attack is of the same gravity.
Terrorism isn’t something that a country can single-handedly fight. Pakistan alone cannot defend itself from the terrorists. And while India and Pakistan may be political enemies, if I hear one person say something along the lines of Pakistan not deserving India’s help, I will sock them in the face. Not only India, but the whole world should stand up to fight this, and it is terrible that we had to wait for so many innocent lives to be taken before we realized that.
So, to all the militants, I hope you see the repercussions of what you have done, and the pain you have inflicted upon the world. No amount of war or fighting against you will ever make up for the innocent lives you took that day.
To the parents who lost their children, and the citizens of Pakistan, I can’t begin to understand your pain. There are no words I could possibly say that will prove of any impact, but nonetheless, I’m incredibly sorry for your loss.
And lastly, to the children, you didn’t deserve this. I hope you rest in peace.
‘Til next time,
Krishnaa
The Midnight Mail Train 