The dastardly acts of naked violence on 11th Sept were most deplorable
and they have been condemned in the strongest terms globally.
Everyone's heart leaps out to the families of the victims as well as to
the brave rescue workers who had lost their lives when the two towers
collapsed. It was a tragedy of massive proportion, and the whole world
shares the grief and anguish of American people.

Now comes the most pertinent question, how should the American people
respond to it? There are two possible answers to this question. One the
simplest and the obvious one is to find the people or groups of people
responsible for it, and punish them in an examplery manner which serves as
a deterrent to future terrorists of this kind. This is exactly what is
President Bush's response which seems to enjoy the overwhelming support of
91% of people as indicated by the opinion polls.

However there have been heard some voices of dissent in this euphoria of
patriotism and war cry. The first notable and lone voice was heard in the
American Senate from the California senator black lady, Ms. Barbara Lee.
She has urged her colleagues to sit back and ponder for a moment before
taking the momentous decision. This voice of caution and reflection was
drowned in the din of cry for not only blood for blood but rather more
blood. This reminds me of another brave, this time white lady, Ms. Helen
Sussmann who bore the sole and lonely voice of dissent in the South African
parliament during the apartheid era. She got never tired of questioning the
Government day after day for long years on the brutal atrocities and the most
unjust and uncivilized rule of law leased on the black majority.

The other day, people have, collecting themselves from the shock and
devastation both physical and mental, come out on the streets of New York
in large numbers and marched in procession in the area around the twin towers,
with posters saying " We want peace not war, War cry is no answer to
our pain and wounds" and urging caution. These were representative New Yorkers,
which included commoners taxi drivers, factory workers as well as artists
and writers. It was most heartening and assuring that there is hope for noble
human spirit and further that it might have a fighting chance even in such
difficult times.

This shows the way for the second option of reflection and contemplation
on what has happened. The natural question to address is why has it
happened? Sure, it is an act of extreme insanity and thoughtlessness. Should
the response be equally thoughtless, which would, rather than containing and
ending such thoughtlessness, go on perpetuating it with enhancement? If
that is what we don't want, then let us think with a cool head and reflect.

First of all, let us recognise the fact that terrorism has many faces
some of which are more visible than others. Terror whether visible or not
is terror and it always entails disharmony and unhappiness. On this count if
America looks inwards, could it be able to say with straight face that it
is clean? If the answer is not NO, then the malice has seeped so deep that
it does not let one see the stark truth which is as clear and obvious as
the sun light. Just reflect on the fact that most of the weapons used in
any conflict or in any act of terrorism anywhere have been produced and
supplied by American weapons industry. If that being the case, can USA
honestly absolve itself of the responsibility of feeding terrorist machinery?

Even at much subtler level, but that by no means less disastrous, the
dictators and despots of all shades and varieties have been supported (and
replaced when they exhausted their usefulness or turned hostile) by the US
through its all powerful CIA. The latest example of the latter is Osama
Bin Laden himself. When you let a terrorist as head of a state loose on its
innocent people, it is also an act of terror of grave magnitude and
proportion, though not as obviously visible as coming down of the twin
towers.These are also acts of terrorism. Further, when half a million
children die in Iraq, and a similar number go without inoculation
and critical medicine because you have in search of Bin Laden mistakenly
bombed the pharmaceutical factory. The list will grow to huge proportion if
you candidly try to recall your own acts of commission and omission. All
these are also acts of terrorism.

On a civilized plane, manipulation of the international agencies like
United Nations and bulldozing the new economic order as well as not
heading to international opinion and concern on environment and racism and
so on are also acts of non physical terror, which could be even more
latently damning.

Some total of all this creates a syndrome of offense and repulsion
against US. True to its character of being all alone at No. 1, even in
this inenviable state here too it is lonesome herself.

The question is what could be thoughtful and wise response to this
situation? If it seriously wishes to address the issue of complete and
effective eradication of terrorism, it cannot be done without controlling
and considerably down scaling its weapons industry. In the final analysis,
it is one industry which produces death in a violent manner. It has been
growing under the cover of defense, how shallow that claim is has been
spectacularly demonstrated by the events of 11th Sept. The mightiest and
the only super power with arsnel of nuclear bombs and missiles could do
nothing but watch helplessly coming down of symbols of its life and
manner.

The history has, though through a tragic event, thrown up a great
opportunity for American people and its leaders to give a new direction to
the world on path to lasting peace and harmony. It could use this event to
seriously contain the war industry on one hand and to spearhead a
global non violent campaign against terrorism and injustice. The developed
countries would have greater role and responsibility in this effort. If
not the strongest and richest country in the world, who else
would do it? The US people should realise this historic challenge and rise
to the occasion.

This would be the thoughtful and wise response to the criminal acts of
11th Sept. This would break the chain of violence and give peace a
chance. If US takes onto this path, it would have all the rest following
or rather a step ahead with enthusiasm and not with fear. Let us hope
that US leadership and people will, in their reflective mood, listen to
Barbara Lee and to the peace marchers of New York who have pleaded for not to
deepen their pain and grief by more blood shed never mind, whose it is
and where it spills.

Here is a chance for US to become truly greater and stronger, would it
take it?