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us. But in adversity, when we are deprived of these means, justifiably or unjustifiably, we are faced with a threat to our survival. Terrorism is born out of this threat. It would not be wrong to conclude that all violence, other than that associated with natural survival needs, is dependent on the threat perception of an individual being or a group.
Under the influence of this threat, the natural survival instinct turns into a potent and destructive force, driving beings to grab and snatch to meet their needs. Among human beings, who are equipped with highly evolved faculties of perception and imagination, the scope of 'need' continues to expand, and the dividing lines between need and desire, ambition, covetousness and greed become hazy. The intellectual tools of rationalizing and justifying provide durability to this destructive force, which then becomes nearly limitless.
Once this turnaround takes place and finds an atmosphere conducive to its spread, it grows with ever-increasing speed and overpowers the normal functioning of mind. When this happens, even a normal person begins to behave like a mad and deranged person, and a new terrorist, who is sanely insane,' is born. The evolutionary journey from being an animal to becoming a human being has been long, but that from human to animal is very short.
When working against evil, it is essential to condemn it unequivocally and to dissociate oneself from it. The moment any “if or but” conditions are laid down, one is associating oneself with those who do evil. Maybe the medicine should be different for the diehards and the fence sitters, but both should be counted among the sick. The diehards, who are beyond any chance of retrieval, have to be given the
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AHIMSA: THE SCIENCE OF PEACE Jain Education International
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