In war-torn regions, nearly 18 cr people are grappling with severe starvation & over 12 cr have been rendered homeless
Diwali, the festival of lights, has arrived. This festival spreads the light of love in our hearts. Every lamp fills the celebration of life with energy. The darkness of animosity fades away, and good wishes feel like they are infusing strength. Naturally, like all of you, the energy of Diwali is coursing through me as well. My heart is throbbing, but the multitude of questions arising in my mind is causing a deep tremor within.
This tremor exists because we believe in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and wish to see not just ourselves, but the entire world filled with joy. Just two days back, I saw a video that shook me to the core. It was the video of a young child, wounded by bomb shrapnel, whose body was reduced to mere bones. The doctor standing nearby was saying, “We have removed the shrapnel, but he will not survive because his body has no strength left to fight the wounds.
He is malnourished.” Since then, a question has been flashing in my mind: Who is the culprit responsible for that child’s condition? The question is not at all about where that child belonged or who dropped the bomb, because such conflicts are raging everywhere in the world where innocent people are being killed. Children are not only being orphaned, but are also being put to death.
Do you know that in the war between Israel and Hamas, more than 21,000 children have been killed and there is no count at all of how many have been injured? Whether it is the war between Ukraine and Russia or conflict anywhere else, the situation is the same everywhere. Data from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Peace Research Institute Oslo reveal that at least 130 armed conflicts are currently ongoing across the globe.
In some places, two nations are at war. Elsewhere, numerous armed insurgents are fighting their own government or tearing each other apart. Notable among these conflicts are the Russia-Ukraine war, the civil war in Sudan, the ongoing internal conflict in Myanmar, the Israel-Hamas war and those going on in Lebanon, Iran and Yemen. However, there are many such conflicts whose news never reaches the rest of the world.
We have no idea what is unfolding in Boko Haram’s territory. The world is shocked only when they abduct hundreds of schoolgirls and distribute them among their fighters. Statistics show that at least 20 crore people live in areas controlled by some terrorist or extremist organisation or the other. Their lives have plunged into darkness, but they cannot escape even if they want to.
Where can they go? A United Nations report states that around 18 crore people living in conflict zones are facing severe starvation. War has forced a vast number of people to abandon their homes and flee. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has stated that the highest number of refugees, approximately 35 lakh Afghans, are in Iran.
In Turkey, there are about 29 lakh Syrian refugees, while in Germany, there are over 27 lakh Syrian, Ukrainian and Afghan refugees. Many European countries also host a large number of refugees. Just imagine how agonising it must be to be evicted from one’s own homeland! I wonder what is the use of landing on the Moon, challenging the Sun, the formation of the United Nations by all the major powers and making grand assertions about development?
The wealthy are intimidating others. No one is listening to anyone. It has become a situation where ‘might is right’. I feel the theme ‘money’ chosen for Lokmat’s Diwali special edition reflects the truth. The cycle of money creating power and power generating money has spread across the entire world.
Today, we stand in an atmosphere where speeches about eradicating poverty abound, but a question arises in the mind: Is a situation being created where, instead of poverty, the poor themselves are being eliminated? Droughts in some places and torrential rains in others — are not these wars also a cause behind environmental destruction?
Bombs are being dropped on the Earth, missiles are being fired into the sky, while the seas are teeming with submarines and lined with explosives. Surrounded by countless such questions, I am fulfilling the tradition of Diwali. People hide their inner sorrow and celebrate small moments of joy. In present times, this has become the norm.
War against drugs is not easy! When Union home minister Amit Shah set the goal of eradicating Naxalism from the country, everyone said this task was not easy. But he achieved it. That Naxalism has been eradicated was announced on March 31 this year. Now, he has announced the goal of making India drug-free by December 31, 2029. This announcement is undoubtedly completely different from all the previous ones.
The drug trade has spread across the world like a chain; while any strike against it may break a few links, the chain itself remains intact. India is a part of that chain. The drug trade does not exist in isolation; it is linked to terrorism and crime. But one thing is certain about Amit Shah: When he makes an announcement, he never bluffs. He strikes only after making thorough preparations. I pray that just as he achieved the goal of eradicating Naxalism, he also achieves the goal of making India drug-free.
*The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.