As someone who lost a cousin and his wife during the carnage at the Oberoi, I empathize with everyone who were affected by the events that unfolded in Mumbai recently.
The most natural reaction to this bizarre event is to be in pain and then since we can't explain the event through any rational means be angry which in turn leads to hatred. The media and our noble politicians don't help. But have we ever tried to understand the real reasons behind terrorism? Have we tried to understand what goes on in the mind of the terrorists and what causes them to behave in such an inhuman manner? Aren't the terrorists also going through the same cycle of pain-anger-hatred that we would go through except that in their ignorance they are not cringing back on expressing their hatred and losing all human values in achieving their goals?
A wise man once said that some of the factors that lead to terrorism include: (i) a frustration and desperation to achieve a goal, (ii) confused emotions, (iii) shortsightedness and impulsive action and (iv) a belief in a non-verifiable concept of heaven and merit; a childish concept of God favoring some and angry at others, thereby undermining the omniscience and omnipotence of the Divine. If you then think about the terrorists from this perspective, you actually do have compassion for them. I am not justifying their act, but am trying to give a perspective that the long-term solution may not necessarily be throwing a few more bombs at them.
Another happening that takes place usually is that we are very sad, angry and bothered about a particular situation for a few moments after the event, maybe even for a couple of days but then "life takes over". We "know" that politicians take bribes which lead to poor materials for our soldiers yet we don't do anything about it – we may get angry or upset but yet feel that the system is too large and corrupt to handle. We are critical yet we do not offer a solution. We want someone else to find the solution. Yet in doing that isn't the criticism coming from the same seed as terrorism or put differently, aren't we also stirring up emotions without offering solutions that could make someone all hot and bothered and commit a destructive act? Shouldn't we rather do something about things that we feel critical about? I would rather try and tackle the root causes rather than only be upset – everybody's lives then would have not gone in vain.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (from the Art of Living) suggested some ways in which we can probably tackle terrorism (one step at a time), including: (i) to spread a message that inculcates a broader perspective of life -- value life more than race, religion and nationality, (ii) educating people in human values – friendliness, compassion, cooperation and upliftment, (iii) teaching methods to release stress and tension, (iv) cultivating confidence in achieving noble aims by peaceful and nonviolent means, and (v) creating spiritual upliftment that can weed out destructive tendencies. Isn't it time for us to act?
Also, if you look at the whole event from a broader perspective, you get a very different view. I had a very different view on the whole happening until I realized that I had lost my relatives too. It suddenly hit home. It made me wonder why? At the same time in the world, where hundreds, were being killed and probably thousands around the world dying thousands of children were being born. Who do you feel sad for and who do you feel happy for? Aren't our feelings affected one way or the other only because we feel certain people belong to us and others don't? I am not being critical of the feeling, am just trying to become aware of it. If we truly believe in the global world and that everyone is a part of us what do you feel then? Also should we not then at least try and figure out the root causes that lead to terrorism? I also believe, and get peace from the fact that events happen for a certain reason that eventually leads to the betterment of society. They may make us feel horrible or very good in the short run but eventually if we take humanity as a whole it is for our good. This also becomes relatively simple to grasp if you believe in the omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence of the Divine.
