The entire nation is in mourning after the horrific terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir on 14 February 2019, where a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus, killing over 30 officers.
Social media flooded with posts expressing shock, grief, condolences and anger. All the top five hashtags were related to the attacks. While the anger and frustration was justified, some used the platform to call for revenge; the #BadlaKab and #PulwamaRevenge asked the Modi government to “flush out Kashmiris who are Pak supporters” and said Kashmir needs a “killing touch.”
Many shared a video clip from the movie Lakshya where a soldier asks Preity Zinta’s character if she expects them to bow down in front of the enemy and hand over the country to them in a platter, after she says people need peace, not war.
War is not the solution, it will only result in the loss of more lives, commented another section of Twitterati.
The incident shows that it is high time we did some introspection, said Twitterati. India needs to plug the glitches in the intelligence systems, shift its stance towards Pakistan’s proxy terrorism, and stop strengthening the anti-India sentiment in Kashmir.
The only solution to the Kashmir issue is a political one. No amount of military action or pellet guns can solve it, said some members of the Twitter family.
Twitter also had suggestions for the government. It is time for the government and the Opposition to come together rather than point fingers, tweeted Yogendra Yadav, former leader of Aam Aadmi Party.
Former army officers were of the view that decisions must not be taken in anger. We must be humble about military victories and should avoid making soldiers a part of rhetoric, said a former military reservist, Navdeep Singh.
Absorb your anger and offer sane options, commented Lt Gen (Retd), Indian Army Syed Ata Hasnain.
It is time to ask tough questions to the government, said some. Will the government accept that its intelligence systems have failed?
In the barrage of opinions, outrage and criticism, Twitter also asked to us switch off television and social media, educate and come up with solutions rather than giving into the politics of hate.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)