Man is the most violent of all living creatures--- he kills other living beings for food, pleasure, research and he kills fellow humans in name of religion, caste, ethnicity, nationality, ideology. Right now, while you are reading this post, someone somewhere is being killed by another human! With eight "major wars" underway right now and with as many as two dozen "lesser conflicts" ongoing with varying degrees of intensity, it seems the world is on fire.
GlobalSecurity.org has this to say, "Most of these are civil or "intrastate" wars, fueled as much by racial, ethnic, or religious animosities as by ideological fervor. Most victims are civilians, a feature that distinguishes modern conflicts. During World War I, civilians made up fewer than 5 percent of all casualties. Today, 75 percent or more of those killed or wounded in wars are non-combatants.
Africa, to a greater extent than any other continent, is afflicted by war. Africa has been marred by more than 20 major civil wars since 1960. Rwanda, Somalia, Angola, Sudan, Liberia, and Burundi are among those countries that have recently suffered serious armed conflict.
War has caused untold economic and social damage to the countries of Africa. Food production is impossible in conflict areas, and famine often results. Widespread conflict has condemned many of Africa's children to lives of misery and, in certain cases, has threatened the existence of traditional African cultures.
Conflict prevention, mediation, humanitarian intervention and demobilization are among the tools needed to underwrite the success of development assistance programs. Nutrition and education programs, for example, cannot succeed in a nation at war. Billions of dollars of development assistance have been virtually wasted in war-ravaged countries such as Liberia, Somalia, and Sudan."
India has been haunted by the scourge of both internal and external wars eversince its independence. Apart from the wars India has fought with Pakistan and China, a series of conflicts mostly involving ethnic groups seeking independence or autonomy from the central government. These are in addition to the Kashmir Rebellion, which rates as a major conflict.
o Hindu-Muslim Sectarian Violence—(1947-Present): Since independence from Britain in 1947, Hindus and Muslims in India have engaged in periodic outbursts of violence against each other. The latest mob violence in early 2002 in the state of Gujarat claimed 800 to 1,000 lives.
o Hindu-Sikh Sectarian Violence-(1980s): The brutal killings of the innocent by militants; two-times Army action at Harmandir Sahib, the Holiest of Sikh shrines; the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the then PM by her bodyguards, and subsequent Anti-Sikh riots in various parts on North India. It was one of the ugliest periods in history of Punjab that threatened to tear the communal harmony among Hindus & Sikhs.
o Naga Rebellion—(1952-Present): The Naga ethnic group seeks independence from India. A cease-fire took effect in 1997, though some Naga groups continue to oppose the government.
o Mizo Rebellion—(Feb. 28, 1966-Present): The Mizo National Front (MNF) seeks independence from India for the Mizoram region.
o Naxalite Guerrilla War—(May 25, 1967-Present): Beginning with a peasant uprising in the town of Naxalbari, this Marxist/Maoist rebellion sputters on in the Indian countryside. The guerrillas operate among the impoverished peasants and fight both the government security forces and the private paramilitary groups funded by wealthy landowners. Most fighting takes place in the states of AP, Bihar, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, MP, & Orissa.
o Tripura Rebellion—(1979-Present): Tripura, in Northeast India, is embroiled in a separatist rebellion as several rebel groups fight for independence.
o Assam Rebellion—(1980-Present): The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) formed in April 1979 in response to an influx of non-Assamese from Bangladesh and parts of North East India. This movement seeks to evict those "foreigners" and seek greater autonomy from the Indian government.
o Bodo Rebellion—(Mid-1980s-Present): The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is fighting for a separate state within India. They feel that their ethnic group is persecuted by the Assamese and Bengali groups which dominate the region.
Source: The History Guy
All this information sends a shudder down my spine. When will mankind learn to live in peace with one another? I hope and pray that such a day dawns soon.
"Perpetual peace is no empty idea, but a practical thing which, through its gradual solution, is coming always nearer its final realization..." IMMANUEL KANT
3 comments:
I think God just wanted to hear you out on this one. At least the Lebanese one might be slowing down, though I don't see an end right now, just the beginning. It is unfortunate to see how much hatred the people have and thats when one realises how miserably religion failed mankind.
The only happy man is the one who consciously rejects to be a part of this world - a world torn apart by narrow mindedness. Step aside and let them be. :)
"Vinasha kaale vipareetha buddhi"
True. Mankind is the most cruel creature in this world. With the number of wars and conflicts going on, one wonders where it will end?
Wait for the arrival of Kalki ! what...has he arrived ? in whose shape ? dada er.....
Cheers
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