BANNER: A Tale of Two Tragedies – An Excerpt from My Personal Diary

Like other national tragedies, this too shall pass but it would take ages to clear the blood stains from the walls of our hearts. Think of the parents who have been robbed of their future.  The siblings who have been ripped apart from their brothers and sisters. Could anyone imagine and understand the depth of the sorrow of the mother, silent but intensely grief-stricken eyes of the sister, the absolute helplessness of the father and inner condition of the inconsolable brother? This must go down as the bleakest day in the short history of this country.    

Opinion article by: Waqar Azeem Jappa

The writer is a part-time actor, occasional blogger and a regular dreamer. He has an M.Phil in media studies from University of the Punjab. He can be reached at waqarfcc@gmail.com.

Until yesterday, we knew of only one national tragedy, the breakup of East Pakistan. We are told that 16^th December 1971 was the day when we were at the lowest ebb in the history of our country. We were born together but were not destined to live together as one country. Who determined our destiny like that? Was it Zulfi, Mujeeb, Yahya,Mukti Bahni, Indra Gandhi, someone or something else?  It is a hard question with no black and white answer. Only thing that is certain about the whole saga is that it has gone down as a Black Day in our national history.

We have somehow managed to live with this bitter reality. At least, our generation who was born much latter. But, what about what has happened yesterday? Over 140 innocent souls have been punished for the crimes they never committed. How can someone get so mad? That too, in the name of God? This is not the Islam I know. This is naked savagery unleashed in its unimaginable brute form. This is total bloodshed. Their parents had not sent them to school to be killed in the cold month of December. This is madness!

Like other national tragedies, this too shall pass but it would take ages to clear the blood stains from the walls of our hearts. Think of the parents who have been robbed of their future.  The siblings who have been ripped apart from their brothers and sisters. Could anyone imagine and understand the depth of the sorrow of the mother, silent but intensely grief-stricken eyes of the sister, the absolute helplessness of the father and inner condition of the inconsolable brother? This must go down as the bleakest day in the short history of this country.

The mushroom growth of militancy in the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks on America during the last decade has posed an existential threat to the people across the globe. But, Pakistan has paid a price much greater than any other U.S ally on its war on terror. The people of Pakistan have lived to see the transition of this war into “theirs” to ours. The yesterday’s deadliest attack on the students and teachers of Army Public School Peshawar has simply exposed the bitter truth. The nation has been left grieved, wounded, and bitterly hurt. People are also scared, terrified and angered.

Some are suggesting to convert this terror into anger and get united to make a bulwark against these savages who have stabbed us deep right in the heart. But how do we do it? We have tried dialogue. It didn’t work. We are in the middle of a military operation which has not been much of a success either. Even if it eliminates the militants in the badlands which our soldiers are determined to. What about our cities where they are attacking us at their will?

Probably, it is time for the leadership both, political and military to pause a little and ponder over the missing link. It is time to understand the nature of the fight. As militancy has deep ideological and regional roots which have to be dealt with as such. We have tried all other methods to tame these beasts including pacifist and coercive. Now let us try education. It is only education that can shatter the ideological basis of militants.

It is only through meaningful education, we can remove the socio-economic deprivations and religious bigotry- root causes of militancy. Let us build schools in FATA and KPK once our military has bombed to death those who killed our Children. Let us reform our madrassas. Let us remove hate speech from our text books. Pakistanis have had their share of miseries.  They want peace and only education can bring us a durable peace by combating militancy once and for all!

Note for readers: This is an excerpt from Mr. Jappa’s personal diary. It was written 4 years ago from today. To be exact (17-12-14) 2nd day after the Peshawar carnage of Army Public School.