Fear them not

Probably the most insightful aspect of the mysterious Jama Masjid attacks (19 September 2010) is actions of 26-year-old Salim Ahmed, the rickshaw-wala who started throwing stones at the two attackers. While the confusion over why or what the Sunday shoot-out was, one thing that struck me was the immediate reaction of Ahmed, and to be fair, the constable present at the scene. Their actions foiled the attack and saved lives. Put this in contrast to the massive panic that ensued after Mumbai Terror Attacks of 2008.
I hope what happened at Jama Masjid on Sunday is not a one-time event but sign of changing attitude of the Indian public. The only true way to counter terror is not through putting a cop with a Kalashnikov at every corner, listening to all the phone calls ever made and arresting everyone we don’t like (which are only stop-gap solutions) but to refuse to be terrorized. Terrorism, like crime, is something we may very well have to live with. The threat of terrorism can never be removed, only lessened.
In general terrorist acts are followed panic and anger by the victims –Indian society and government. In anger we overreact, lash out on innocents, only strengthening extremist’s hand. In panic, we accede to their demands and give into injustice.
The overreaction to terror attacks in India can be often seen in the aftermath when the police rounds up scores of Muslims for “questioning” or shutting down entire cities of Kashmir and Northeast. Moreover, the call for blood by the public can lead to terrible consequences, as was evident in the post-Mumbai Terror Attacks India when the entire nation was up in arms asking for war against Pakistan.
The panic can be seen when the people into terrorists’ demands. Recent studies  have shown that terrorism often pays off for the extremist groups and is therefore employed. For instance, the foremost demand of Al Qaida after 9/11 was the removal of US troops from Saudi Arabia and believe it or not, today there are no US troops in Saudi Arabia.
Hopefully, now the Indian society is learning not to be completely paralyzed by fear or lash out too strongly but to deal with terrorism rationally.

Image: Jama Masjid  Image Credit:Wikimedia