The dastardly attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama on February 14 has caused the entire country to go into robotic mode. The response from media, politicians and civilians is mechanical and repetitive rhetoric. As I sat glued to the television and watched the gory story from Kashmir, a shiver ran down my spine. The entire event seemed copy-pasted! As if a printer has been set by default to print endless copies of the same blood-soaked sheet!

The condemnation, outrage, outbursts and defence evoked a sense of deja vu. Had I not been conscious of date and time, I would have taken it for a replay of a past misdeed on the screen. I failed miserably once again — failed to comprehend that ‘something’ which must have been amiss in the life of the young culprit, the face of this latest perpetrator of terror.

All terrorists look the same to me! Behind their different facades is one universal persona. I wish I could peek into his childhood and recognise the strain of destructive rebellion and save the rest of the country’s youth from being lured into the trap. It is strange that while the country’s heart bleeds for the brave soldiers meeting such a devastating, untimely death, I also mourn the ruination of thousands of young hearts for a vague cause.

Feeling hopeless and distressed at the sight of the blood-bathed bodies of our soldiers, I decided to switch off the television and go for a walk. My fifty-five inch television screen had became a nuisance today. The gigantic videos of the incident suffused my entire room and my being, and out of sheer suffocation, I decided to go out for a breather.

Again the same monotonous comments, condemnation and frenzy. “Wait and see. This time action will be taken. This time the government has to act.” “But what about previous acts?” I ask, “We will just talk for a few days and offer shraddhanjali and finish!” Friends retort, “This time it is different. More casualties! Action will be taken!” Indians are good mathematicians after all. The greater the casualty, the higher the impact.

And action. Little storms do not bother us, we are accustomed to tsunamis. While we kept our own little intellectual talk on, I was reminded of the onscreen debate that I had switched off and felt like a bonsai version of the newsreaders and debators. Was there a way to escape? Amidst the cacophony in my mind, I realised that the families of the dead warriors must have gone mute. Their pain, my words fail to measure.

Those who have lost their sleep tonight and for an eternity of nights to follow.  The rest all will go to sleep on a full stomach today. The shattering cries of the martyrs’ children will not be our wake-up call tomorrow; we have our own caller tunes. But for them, no music can ever sound the same. Should we tell the martyrs’ families to face the disaster with equanimity? Which religion in the world has the power to heal their gaping wounds? It is deplorable that ancient philosophies have become modern-day religions.

I wish we had let them be just that – philosophies — our guides and guardians. Philosophy, the mantra of life has disappeared and that is why we do not bother about the living beings. A secular country thrives on a philosophy that gives it a working ideology. A philosophy that undertakes to find meaning in life, not make it meaningless. A philosophy that tries to understand the fundamentals of human existence and experience.

But here we stand, threatening human existence as never before. Man versus man. No one is concerned about the country’s philosophy. All that matters is statistics, majorities, minorities, and so on. Religion, a personal habit or choice of worship, has become the battleground of the world. Sadly, we just have political schools of thought, instead of ideological seats of learning.

Religion has become so big and humanism so insignificant. It has become a deadly tool to rationalise every sort of violence. And even rationalisation has become a variable, with a new value for every new calculation. Without the philosophy of humanism grounded and intricately etched in every single individual of the world, existence will be nothing but a nightmare. What shall I dream about today? Goodnight, dear country.

 Alka Jainis Teaching Associate, Rani Laxmibai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi. Views are personal.

written by Alka Jain  FPJ.

Mr. Rahul Gandhi gave a farmer's book to give the rights to the farmers.

Relationship of the heart of Gandhi family with the people of Bastar: Mr. Rahul Gandhi

Chief Minister Shri Baghel has fulfilled the promise made by the state government to the farmers.

Tribal Farmers Right Convention concludes at Dhauragaon, Lohandiguda

Lok Sabha MP Mr. Rahul Gandhi today handed over ownership rights by handing over 1784 hectares of land to 1707 farmers of ten villages acquired for the Tata plant in the grand tribal farmers' rights convention organized at Village Dhuragaon in LohandiGuda Development Block of Bastar district. Mr. Gandhi said on this occasion that it is a historic decision of the state government in the right of farmers. Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country, which has done the work of returning the acquired land to the farmers. He said that he had promised to give the land back to the farmers during the last visit to Bastar and the government, led by Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel, decided to return the land to farmers within a week. Today, fulfilling his promise by handing the documents of his land to the farmers. Shri Gandhi said that we had enacted the Land Acquisition Act, in which it is clear that if the land acquired on the acquired land is not done within five years, then the land will be returned to the farmers. This law has been followed in Chhattisgarh for the first time in the country.
Tribute to soldiers martyred in Pulwama
    In the beginning of the conference, all the guests and attendees, including Mr. Rahul Gandhi, paid tribute to the CRPF jawans who had been martyred in Pulwama of Jammu and Kashmir two days ago, with a silent two-minute silence.

    Addressing a massive public meeting, Shri Rahul Gandhi said that tribals have the right to water and forest and land. The local people should get the benefit of these resources. He said that Rs. 2500 per standard bag was given for the Tandupta, which the state government has now made Rs 4000 per standard sack. He said that we had promised to forgive the debt of farmers within 10 days of the formation of the government, which was completed only after two hours. He said that we had promised to lay the trap of food processing units. Today it has been started from Sukma and Dhuragaon. The establishment of a maize processing unit in Kondagaon will also be made soon. He promised to provide minimum income guarantee from the public. This will make money directly to the public's account. This will help in reducing poverty. He also spoke of bringing a new GST.
Mr Gandhi said that his family has a heart-related relationship with the people of Bastar. Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi and after that late Rajiv Gandhi and Smt. Sonia Gandhi have been living contacts with the people of Bastar. He said that the doors of my house will always be open for the people of Bastar. Whatever demand will be made, I will complete it with heart.

On this occasion, Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel said on this occasion that Shri Pradhan Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi gave land lease to the tribal families of Lohandiguda in 1972 which was stripped, today Shri Rahul Gandhi has returned it again. They congratulated the farmers for this. Shri Baghel said that Mr. Rahul Gandhi had instructed the farmers to forgive the debt within 10 days after the formation of the government, which the government had completed in two hours. He said that the state government has forgiveness not only the cooperatives but also the agricultural loans taken from commercial banks. Now ten thousand crores loan taken from cooperatives and commercial banks is being waived. He said that earlier rice was being given at the rate of 7 kg per person, now we have decided to give 35 kg of rice to every family every month. Shri Baghel said that there is abundant coal available in Chhattisgarh. The public should get the benefit here, so we have decided to halve the electricity bill of domestic consumers. It will be effective from March 1 and the bill for the month of April will be half. He said that we have also decided to purchase 15 small forest produce at the support cost.
    On this occasion, Rajya Sabha MP Shri PL Punia, Panchayat and Rural Development and Health Minister Mr. TS Singhdev, Agriculture Minister Mr. Ravindra Choubey, Minister of Industry, Mr. K. K. Lakhma, Women's Child Development Minister Smt. Anila Wolfia, Chitrakot MLA Mr. Deepak Badge also addressed the gathering Done
    Speaking on the occasion, Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Dr. Chander Das, Home Minister, Shri Tamrampraj Sahu, School Education Minister, Dr. Premisai Singh, Urban Administration Minister, Mr. Shiv Dahariya, Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management, Mr. Jaysingh Agarwal, Public Health Minister, Guru Rudra Kumar, Education Minister Shri Umesh Patel, MP Rajya Sabha, Smt. Shadow Verma, MLA Mr. Rekhchand Jain, Mr. Lakheshwar Baghel, Senior officials of state government and district administration including large number of people's representatives and Chief Secretary, Mr. Sunil Kujur are present along with Shri Mohan Marakam, Shri Santram Netam, Mr. Vikram Mandawi, Mr. Chandan Kashyap, Mr. Anup Nag, Dr. Arun Oraon and Dr. Chandan Yadav. Were. At the end of the conference, Sarpanch of Dhuragaon Shri Patilal Kashyap expressed gratitude.
Mr. Rahul Gandhi inaugurated Food Processing Units
The foundation stone of the proposed Maize processing center in Kondagaon
    MP Rahul Gandhi released the food processing unit established at Sukma and Dhuragaon at a cost of Rs 8.9 million. Along with this, small scale industries set up at a cost of Rs 6 crore 75 lakhs in Tapnar and Lakhnpuri, Plug-type Vegetable Seeding Production Unit installed in Jagdalpur at a cost of Rs 586.8 million and cashew processing established in Bastar and Tokal at a cost of Rs 24 lakhs. The center was also inaugurated. He paid the farmers the amount of paddy purchased at a rate of 2500 rupees per quintal from 1 lakh 17 thousand 218 farmers of Bastar division. Mr. Gandhi also laid foundation stone of the proposed Maize processing center at Kadgaon at a cost of 105 crores.
    He also gave personal registration letters to 1834 beneficiaries and 261 Community Varanasi letters. On this occasion, the farmers of Vardamata Krishak Kalyan Samiti Barda and Jai Burdadev Kisan Kalyan Committee Urnda Bera provided tractor, cultivator, seed drill, thrasher, ripper and sprayer on this occasion. Mr. Gandhi inaugurated various development works worth Rs 21.57 crore in the conference. In the Lohandiguguda, small forest produce processing center set up at a cost of 1.5 crore rupees and also Bhumi Pujan of 5 bridges constructed in Kanger Nala and Udiranala at a cost of Rs. 2 crore 85 lakhs.
Chief Minister gave a visit to New Delhi based on Chhattisgarh
Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel presented the copy of the Government calendar based on the concept of 'Gadhboo Nava Chhattisgarh' concept of Chhattisgarh government in the 2019 tribal agriculture land rights conference organized in village Dhuragaon, in Bastar district of Shri Rahul Gandhi. In this, an unforgettable photograph of dancing with the Adivasis of Bastar in Bastar, the then Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi, has also been included.
The special picture of the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi, presented to Shri Rahul Gandhi, MP
    In the tribal agriculture land rights conference held in village Dhuragaon in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh State, a copy of the unforgettable photograph of Rahul Gandhi was made available when the then Prime Minister Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi reached Lohandiguda in the year -1972, The lease was made.