Combating terrorism

The best way to attain this objective is to refrain from doing anything which will strengthen the hands of the enemies of democracy and the rule of law. The leaders should not miss the point that they are dealing with terrorism of a monstrous kind and the only way to tame it is to remain united. By snuffing out so many human lives, the terrorists have actually challenged the whole law enforcing mechanism that is in place now. The crime is also a test of political will to combat terrorism.

So, it is imperative that the attack on the AL rally is placed in the right perspective. If the politicians lose sight of the broader goal of defeating the dark forces, they will be doing a great disservice to the nation. What we want to say in clear terms is that terrorist activities should be seen as a threat to our very existence. The terrorists are trying to ruin whatever we have achieved as a nation through destabilising the country. The attempt on the life of the leader of the opposition was indeed an attempt to throttle the democratic process.

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The cases of bomb blasts have to be resolved not only to serve the cause of justice, but also to make sure that a collective concern is addressed in right earnest, and the culprits brought to full public view. They must not be allowed to get away with their clandestine operations, as they have so far in the absence of any legal action.

There is a lot to learn from other democratic countries. Nowhere in the civilised world is terrorism mixed up with party politics, and nothing is more important than realising that terrorism is an enemy that has to be countered collectively.

So, it is a fight between the democratic polity and the forces out to destroy it. The parties, irrespective of their political ideology and beliefs, have to wage a war against the subversive elements. The situation is alarming because they have already made inroads into the heart of our political system -- a truth manifested by Saturday's attack.