TERRORISM AND LIBERATION STRUGGLE?
Terror is an environmental state that induce fear in a society collectively or in an individual. It has become of paramount importance to draw a line between the two and has assumed more importance since the incidence of nine eleven and the collapse of USSR.
It is essential to differentiate between a crime and terror. A single act of a terror may be politely called a crime. Whether it is pre planned or an act of impulse. The non continuation of similar behaviour can be safely categorised as an act of aggression.
On the other hand terrorism is the commitment of atrocities with perpetuation and induction of fear. The element of an impulse is either minimal or non existing in terror It is a conscious and continuous process with high degree of sustainability and commitment with variable degree of continuity.
In my opinion any act that devalues the values of humanity is a terrorism. As Stalin said, one death is a tragedy but many deaths are statistics. If you look at this statement philosophically it is evident from the word "statistics" that human losses has been given a commercial meaning. This is a typical example of the devaluation of human values.
Terrorism and liberation struggle both have a victor and a victim or an aggressor and the aggressed. It is the mind set behind,which makes the difference. The terrorism have different forms like state terrorism or a group of loosely organised bandits to terrorise the society for their motives. But net result is the same that is the disruption of peace.
But to be less philosophical and more simpler, any aggression that deprive a section of humanity of its values or rob them to exercise their free will to live according to their wishes and whims, is terrorism. In addition, inhibitions on free process of thinking or imposition of a system or an ideology that is alien to their values and objective conditions is a part of terrorist philosophy. In other words intolerance to a peaceful dissent is terrorism even against an established state. We must differentiate between peace and silence.
The liberation struggle can be differentiated from terrorism by one point. The first one is a an aggressive act to acquire lost freedom of free thinking and to get control of power to run their home according to their own wishes and dreams. It is the struggle to get back the robbed human dignity and power without any intention to harm or hate others. An aggressive act to get rid of a more stronger and vicious aggression but with no designs to deny the same rights to others. In terror it is to capitulate and freedom struggle it is to end capitulation.
To equate a catapult or arm sling with tank and cluster bombs is also terrorism. It is not essential to be involved in violence. Providing a moral base to an immorality is an immoral terrorism.
Any aggressive act to impose alien ideas or a system on some one else and to rob freedom of movement and expression is terrorism. To acquire freedom from this aggression is a freedom struggle. The means are the same but the ends are different . The common factor is act of aggression. In one aggression is used to attain liberation and the second aggression is used to impose occupation. This occupation may be physical , mental , cultural or economical. The struggle to get these rights back, is liberation.
It is of no significance whether it is organised atrocities like state terrorism or loose when people resort to aggression. One has the element of compulsion, the other has the element of greed and hegemony. But the irony is that the victims in both cases is peace and prosperity.
Dr. khurshid Alam London. 5/4/2012
17- Dean Close E9. 6 ES
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