Kashmir Terror Attack- The Gita’s Message on Confronting Evil
Kashmir Terror Attack: What the Gita Teaches Us About Confronting Evil
The recent shooting of innocent tourists in Kashmir is a heartbreaking reminder of the relentless brutality some individuals are capable of. But beyond the shock and sorrow lies a question that refuses to go away: How long will we tolerate such acts without a strong and lasting response?
Too often, such targeted acts of violence are contextualized, softened, or dismissed. The global narrative bends over backwards to avoid identifying patterns, ideologies, or even communities from which such actions emerge. What we need is not communalization of the issue, but moral clarity—something that the Bhagavad-gita offers in abundance.
The Joy of Destruction: A mindset the Gita Warns About
In its 16th chapter, the Gita offers a sobering profile of the demoniac mentality. This is not mere rhetorical labeling. It describes individuals who don’t just do terrible things—they take pride in them. They consider acts of cruelty signs of cleverness. Such individuals are not guided by conscience, nor are they reachable through negotiation.
Even Krishnathe epitome of diplomacy—fails to make peace with Duryodhana in the Mahabharata. But His failure was instructive. It revealed the futility of reasoning with the unreasonable, and the necessity of action when all moral persuasion fails.
When Secularism Excuses Extremism
The purpose of secularism is to ensure that no religious group dominates or oppresses another. But today, it is increasingly misused to excuse and overlook minority extremism, even when it openly targets innocents. In doing so, secularism risks betraying its very foundation: the protection of the vulnerable and the upholding of justice.
Let’s be clear: this is not a religious issue. It is a civilizational issue. A law-and-order failure. And more deeply, a refusal to confront evil in the name of appearing tolerant.
What the Gita Really Calls For
The Gita is often misunderstood as a text calling for detachment. In truth, it calls for purposeful engagement with courage and clarity. After Krishna’s message, Arjuna doesn’t meditate in a cave. He rises to fight—not out of hatred, but because justice demands it.
The war that follows is not a celebration of violence but a necessity for peace. It shows that some forces must be opposed not with words, but with will. When faced with the truly demoniac, to withhold force is to empower violence.
We Must Act—and Pray
Yes, we must pray—for the souls of the victims. But we must also pray for those in charge. That they may find the strength to act decisively—to cut down those who glorify terror. Thoroughly. Irreversibly.
Evil that celebrates its evilness must not be reasoned with—It must be rooted out.