From the boy who jumped in front of his friends and saved their lives to the boy whose first day of school became his last. The 144 stories of the brave young souls flow across the media, as the country mourns and remembers each life lost during the heinous massacre at the Army Public School (APS) on December 16, 2014, an episode which became seared not only inn the collective psyche of the nation, but on the history of the country as it entirely changed the course of events, leading to a vigorous military campaign and National Action Plan. As its anniversary draws closer, the parents of the APS martyrs again strengthen their calls for answers. Who are the culprits, the ominous ‘terrorists’? Whose ignorance caused this? What is their punishment? When will they be avenged? Unfortunately, some questions can never be fully answered but there is a lot that the government is capable of and responsible for, starting with answering how such an incident was allowed to happen, how could such a massive breach in such a high security area occur and how did the intelligence agencies remain so unaware. It is true that even the possibility of such a horrendous tragedy was not only unforeseeable but unimaginable. Nevertheless these questions importantly lead to the grim realisation that our counter-terrorism structure has been incapable at best, unable to grasp the magnitude of the phenomenon and what it could lead to. But the question is, has this complacency now worn off and have we taken the steps that are needed to ensure that such a lapse never occurss again?
The incident may have occurred within the confines of an army cantonment, but the children were not solely the children of the army, they were children of the entire nation and everyone’s responsibility. While the government incessantly repeats that all the leaders are on the same page against terrorism, what fruit has this borne? So far no roadmap, mutually agreed by the government, the army and security agencies has been revealed to the public. And this is the point where the most unpardonable sin of the government is revealed, the fact that they never learn. The bare necessity in the wake of the tragedy was that now foolproof systems for the protection of students be implemented, systems that faltered previously be thoroughly re-examined and remade and those negligent be admonished. With this, it needs to be discerned that this is primarily a conflict between terrorists and the state, and the citizens come under the state, which is why they have been brutally targeted. Nevertheless the counteraction should not be informed by revenge but by justice, and that is the goal that the authorities need to pursue. It is perhaps understandable that the convoluted operational details cannot be publicised but this does not in any way make a callous silence, which serves only to show the inurement of those in power, acceptable.
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