T

he Kenyan mall terrorist attack has once again shocked the whole world. It shows the vulnerability of the common man in the hands of a mindless few. Terrorists are basically people who do not have any purposeful goal in life but only to trouble innocent people for selfish reasons.

Such attacks are not new and keep happening here and there, but for the families of those who have lost their lives or are missing, it is a painful experience that leaves permanent scars. For the terrorists, it does not matter how many people died or survived.

Those watching the news are saddened by it, but after a while, they carry on with their lives. However, for the families who lost their dear ones, their losses are irreparable and their grief inconsolable. Lives are destroyed and families are ruined. A father loses his son, or children lose their parents.

Others are permanently disabled. Things are changed forever due to such incidents.  These are life-long wounds that time can never heal. Passing days and months may lessen the pain but the bruises are hidden behind the years. Sometimes the survivors have post-traumatic stress disorders and the bad memories keep haunting them.

Many have been reported dead and others injured. When the world is already fighting natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes and typhoons, why contribute to man-made disasters and make life more difficult.

Niharika Ghosh,
Purwakarta, West Java