Monday 20th Apr, 2026
From Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary (2001 Edition), we understand that a Terrorist is a person involved in terrorism. Terror – a feeling of being very frightened. Terrorism – use of terror for political purposes. Terrorize – to make feel frightened by saying that you will kill.
Oxford Dictionary (2006 Edition): A terrorist is a person who uses violent and intimidating methods of coercing a Government or a community. A troublesome person. To terrorize means – based on Latin Terrere – to frighten, to fill with extreme fear; use organised intimidation.
From Collins Thesaurus (1986 Edition), Terrorise means to browbeat, bully, coerce, intimidate, oppress, frighten out of one’s wits, scare to death, panic, make ones blood run cold.
Webster`s Encyclopaedic Dictionary (1989 Edition) : Terrorist – a member of a political group aiming at the demoralisation of the Government by terror. A person that is especially annoying and frightening. Terror – intense fear, frightful violence or bloodshed. Terrorism – use of terrifying methods, state of fear or submission so produced, terroristic methods of governing, resisting a government.
Legal Definition ? – Any person who falls under the above description is entitled to chickens from law abiding tax payers money, has his human rights legally protected, a safe passage over the heap of dead, and a VVIP treatment?
Now, from the world over, incidents like 9/11 twin tower tragedy, 26/11 Mumbai carnage, trespassing by erstwhile USSR into Afghanistan, Training of Taliban, Creation of the Frankenstein monster Bin Laden, Iraq invasion, Syrian civil war, etc. what really is terrorism? And who the hell is a Terrorist? Should we dare to include those monkeys that prick the neighbourly cats to a jaw-tearing fight, and running for themselves profit factories of apparently soothing balms and shooting palms?
Can we include the invasion of Kashmir by Tribals in 1947, Or can we include all those countries / persons who coerced India to submission and advised Nehru to go to United Nations to rage a permanent fire in Kashmir? And or the person who accepted accession with India in 1947 and subsequently intimidated and challenged India in 1952, and again accepted throne in 1977, caring hoots for the common Kashmiri. How to define and categorise those politicians who handed over drones of Mujahids to Government during 1965 Indo-Pak war. Or should we include those who propagate the myth that Terrorism in Kashmir is because of deprivation, backwardness and hunger, but not the populations of Orrisa, Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh Etc. – many of whom do not even have a two time meal. Or should we include those Politicians who divide & kill in the name of Religion, Region & Caste, for Votes? Should we include those intellectuals who in the name of freedom of expression have no sense of moral responsibility towards the fellow sentiments and national integrity? Or those, who cover themselves from knee to neck, leaving their feet open to trample the sensibilities around, and their eyes open to enjoy the campfire of this sadistic melodrama?
Or should we include those politicians like Mani Shankar Aiyer that play to the gallery of vote politics in the lawns & studios of enemy countries, raising fingers on the daredevil heroes who defend the nation when you, me and thee are either in cosy gossip rooms or pampering pools? Or those “Leaders” sitting safe within the cover of black cats, whose children are either studying in air conditioned class rooms far away, or serving in Trans-national companies, but ask common people to fight on streets so that coffers of such leaders are filled-up at the cost of death, destruction & mayhem? Or those people that should be holding books in hostels rather than guns. What to call of those, that in-spite of all intimidations & tragedies and having lost everything to the goons of terror, have just focussed on their carreers and excelled in their respective professions all around the world, bringing glory to Kashmir.
Are not all these people confusing, oppressing, intimidating, trying to frighten common man out of its wits, scaring to death or coercing to submission? Then, who really is a Terrorist?. Do you have any answer?
Or has terrorism become a political tool long before we realize?. Yes, I have an answer. It is only a new arm twisting tactics of mighty highway thugs who changed from riding horses and looting on highways to equipping themselves with AK 57`s & political power, & reside in 24×7 guarded palaces.
And to survive through this so called “intellectual” but terrorizing political maze of intrigue and deception, the common law abiding folks have to find out the wherewithal on their own. The common folks who are under tremendous psychological trauma because of all this, need to fall back upon the old traditional Sufi Culture and thought of innumerable saints of Kashmir. If Wahabism would be the answer then brother would not be fighting the brother. The All Mighty Allah, the benevolent, has created Ashra-ful-Makhulakat not for death & destruction but for a Jehad within, the surrendered self to the will of that All-Mighty, against ignorance, poverty and animosity.