Finally ready with our first post. Tune in at 11 pm tomorrow to read a retired army officer's point of view as to what CVE means to him and the nation.
First Blog:
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Chapter One: We didn’t win Independence by bombing Britain but by “ahimsa”
To a new Beginning...
Before I tell you what Countering Violent Extremism means to me, I want to take a second of your time to discuss the causes and how diverse they can be. These causes range from political parties and systems, fringe groups and economical reasons like poverty. Also included are religious differences, drug mafias, etc. One example of attacks by a community due to poverty were the Naxalite. I think that they had emerged in the West Bengal because of the poor being exploited by the rich. This had lead to mass killings and brutal attacks.
North east states have been seeing violent extremism for many years by ULFA insurgents. Jammu and Kashmir has been subject to continuous unrest ever since the partition of the two countries. The erstwhile Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had warned India that his country would give India a thousand cuts to annex the whole of Kashmir. Ever since then, the Pakistan government has adopted a state policy of extremism against India and as you are aware, this has led to several gun fires and bombings everyday, not only killing our brave soldiers but innocent citizens. But let me ask you if this is the right approach to solve problems? Are weapons and targeting innocent lives more effective than indulging in healthy debates? I disagree. Everything can be solved with non-violence. That’s how we got ourselves independent from Britishers. To counter such problems it’s important to address the causes i.e. address illiteracy, religious fundamentalism, acute unemployment and the like.Initiatives like yours are of vital importance because without spreading awareness, the cause remains meaningless. Make this a mass movement. Good luck to The Grey Army.
Chapter Two:
Pacification
I dream for the day,
When violence will be farther away.
A world where peace is the motto,
Where ferocity will be treated as scato.
Little did I know about the catastrophe,
And the consequences of the actuality.
Behind wars were these brave soldiers,
Whose gallantry reflected on their medal-holders.
Also lost were the mercenaries,
Whose guilt the world still carries.
Please stop such cruelty,reflect back on the reality.
Let lives not be a casualty, let us prosper in serenity.
I hope for a new beginning,
Where the fight for armistice be at winning.
Let us all hope for a better world and stand together and applaud.
For peace is all I want.
This work is original and we hold all rights to it. The poem can be used for all purposes necessary to countering violent extremism but due credits must be given to @theygreyarmy.
-Dwellings of an Army Officer’s daughter
Chapter Three: Strike with words long before they strike with weapons
I dream for the day,
When violence will be farther away.
A world where peace is the motto,
Where ferocity will be treated as scato.
Little did I know about the catastrophe,
And the consequences of the actuality.
Behind wars were these brave soldiers,
Whose gallantry reflected on their medal-holders.
Also lost were the mercenaries,
Whose guilt the world still carries.
Please stop such cruelty,reflect back on the reality.
Let lives not be a casualty, let us prosper in serenity.
I hope for a new beginning,
Where the fight for armistice be at winning.
Let us all hope for a better world and stand together and applaud.
For peace is all I want.
I’ve been through your page and even though I don’t know you guys personally, I’m really proud of your initiative. Your page talks about a lot that people avoid discussing in public. I’ve noticed in the posts by The Grey Army that the main focus is on what countering violent extremism is and how it takes place online. While understanding the cause is really important, I think you people should also start focusing on spreading awareness about the solutions you’re aware of. When I spoke to you earlier, you informed me what counter-narratives or what you call alternative narratives are. I think you need to bring that out in the public in a creative way. Create debates, discussions and sessions, get into heated conversations without violence or hate, prove your point and exhaust yourself.
This is really important because until and unless your brains analyze the problem. And the major problem here is the nasty element of hate speech online. We as civilized beings must understand that no religion, caste, etc propagate terrorism. Terrorism is man-made and the by product of human negativity. It arises out of hate for a particular group or sect of the society and there is no real logical reason behind an act of violence.
We should keep a look at the comments and posts over social media. Hate speech takes place specifically during atrocities like 9/11 when people are enraged. It’s our duty to involve in conversations and help them understand that violence against anyone is not acceptable. There’s a lot of furore around these times but my message to everybody that will be viewing this post is, don’t be afraid. Get out there and throw in your opinions. Give them an alternative view and make it difficult for the recruiters to radicalize people over the internet. I understand that there is a lot of fear but counter narratives can be be implemented through platforms like The Grey Army that won’t disclose their identity. Not just that engaging over the comments with someone who sounds hateful does not make you prone to danger. You’re helping make a difference.
Spread the word and come up with creative ways to bring your message out. Looking forward to a lot more content from you guys as you are the youth of today.
-Thoughts of a newly commissioned officer
Chapter Four: Finding the point of intersection for violent extremism and terrorism
Understanding the above mentioned terms aren't difficult, the reason is that it is found on every corner of our lives. These words have stirred up the hornet's nest of academic fear and loathing. Let us first understand the difference between them. Extremism indicates the extreme to which a person can believe in something. Extremists have a strong belief, strong thoughts and see everyone else who don't share the same thoughts as a threat and oppose them. Terrorists believe in causing panic, fear, terror and death. To be a terrorist you need to be an extremist, to believe in a cause extremely. But an extremist may not be a terrorist. Although put together, both are a major issue and cross paths when extremism turns into terrorism.
The hate crimes have been evolving since ages. Recently there have been 5818 single bias incidents involving 7212 victims. Huge number right? Of those victims, 59.2 percent were targeted because of a race/ethnicity/ancestry bias; 19.7 percent because of a religious bias; 17.7 percent because of a sexual orientation bias; 1.7 percent because of a gender identity bias; 1.2 percent because of a disability bias; and 0.4 percent because of a gender bias.There were an additional 32 multiple-bias incidents that involved another 52 victims.
In 2017 itself we have around 1049 attacks and 6811 fatalities worldwide. This atrocious number isn't something the countries can be proud of.
The question is, what are we doing as an individual to reduce the casualties and help to decrease online extremisms. Do we have it in us to stand up and fight for tranquility? Or will we hide behind smartphones and gadgets and let the brave soldiers alone to fight for us and for our families. The base for terrorism and violent extremism is 'hate’. Turn that hate inside of you into endearment and with surety one can say that cases of terrorism and violence have come down.
Aspiring for a finer tomorrow.
For Feedback:
People 8:46 AM in the morning, a rush-hour, people hurrying to their work . Just a normal Tuesday, grab a quick bite and rushing through the crowd-packed elevator to their desks. It is then what happened. An American Airlines plane, Flight 11 which was hijacked crashed into the northern façade of the World Trade Centre’s North Tower. After an hour two more hijacked planes brought down the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon with a death toll of more than two thousand people and six thousand injured.
Seven years later, November 26, 2008 was when the country witnessed terrorist attack at a close-range. Ten terrorists gunned down their way on a cold-blooded massacre, killing 310 people including 18 police officers and 2 NSG commandos, injuring more than 600 people. It was when India began taking the war on terrorism on a serious note.
After 16 years since the first war on terrorism broke out, there have been many such high profile incidents and people getting killed, families destroyed and countries crumbling. Still now the war on terrorism is still on and in full steam. But it has taken a different approach. The guns and grenades have been replaced with keyboards and networking. Many of the radical groups have began targeting the youth and began recruiting them, brainwashing them with the idea of religious ethics and the very way they are doing a great endeavour for their people, hiding their own selfish and hollow motives. Over the internet there are many forums that target such gullible young minds who are far away from their homes and have come to other cities in the hope of better future.
Since a young mind is a very gullible mind at that stage and it doesn’t see the aftermath of an event, whose easily-stirred emotions can make or break their lives.
Chapter Five:
The Tale About The Elevens
September 11, 2001, Tuesday.
The idea of online hate has taken over various platforms and with internet giving a chance for everyone to have a voice, there is a lot of hate-speech going on. Due to the amount of feed being uploaded to the net and also the vast geographical area it covers in a single moment is what makes it difficult to monitor. So there is a need for crowd-sourcing information to the respective authorities. Many of the social media platforms have installed bots and algorithms that detect such feeds. But people have found ingenious ways to by-pass such safety features and they usually link out to their ground. It is where we as a responsible netizen is to report such content. Well with the risk of privacy being unaltered, there and many such sites and movements which give you the chance to have a anonymous yet a bold voice to stand by your views and we are one such a community, one such a movement.Many ask why? Does it make any difference. Yes! It does. Internet is itself a very pertinent example, many successful campaigns and communities started out with few members and over the time, it is the very reach of internet which made it huge. Please lets unite together, for you may not be able to cure cancer, or find the cure to Aids or eradicate world hunger, but you can be a strong voice in the fight against terrorism. You one such share, comment or report could avoid the next 26/11 or the 9/11 or the paris attack happening again. Please share and do be a part of the Grey Army!
​Chapter Six: Fight Anonymously- Batman Does It, You Can Too
Let’s address the elephant in the room and know what violent extremism even leads to. People often have a vague opinion regarding this issue and tend to ignore the things that impact their own personal lives. Extremists mostly believe and support violence online, their ideology and mindset are different from a regular person. Some people may not even know they are extremists and causing issues for the rest, while they are doing it for fun purposes and unknowingly being mean without realizing it; it may become something severe and hurtful for the other person. The other person’s feelings and emotions are unknown to the entire world after they have been shut down by the violent extremists. The people often exhibit a range of issues regarding politics, religion and even gender relations. Each person has his/her right to express their views until the time it doesn’t become violent or offensive to people around him/her. This leads to conflicts and may affect the thinking of the person. Countering these people is at what lies at stake right now, it may seem like a big issue but a journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.
With all this hatred in the world, love and peace do exist. They may seem like a myth to the others but in reality even if one person takes up the courage to do the right thing many people give their support for the same cause. It’s just the first spark of light that is required. This spark is present amongst all of us even within you, the person reading this right now. You have the spark to become a better person and make this world a better place by removing the negativities in your life such as extremists. These extremists are few in number and can be overpowered quickly with moxy and unity. Good people are remembered for the good deeds that they do and how they persuade others to do good as well. There have been countless great leaders in this aspect who have accomplished something even bigger than this violence nuisance.
The best part of countering violent extremism online is the fact that you can even be anonymous and fight like a superhero. Batman does it, you can too. The simplest thing to do is report that activity to the higher authorities as an offensive or unnecessary action. This is completely anonymous and you don’t even get your hands dirty but the important thing is to make the other person realize his mistake and make him feel sorry for his actions. To do so, you will have to take it to the highest pedestal and go against his views and confront the issue then and there. Resolving it may seem like a burden but the end result is only sweet and candy and you may even change the person for the better good. Others will celebrate your small little victory but for us, it’s an accomplishment of the highest order. Removing darkness by lighting the torch is what the grey army is for. The power of love is much more than that of hate.
Chapter Seven: The Inexplicable Pain of a Mother
Why has it become so easy for people to get radicalised?
Are we, the future of this world so weak that we can't handle our sorrows and thus are giving way to these extremist groups and letting them radicalise us?
All these questions raised in my mind while reading stories of mothers losing their sons to ISIS and many of such similar extremist organisations.
There was this story of a Canadian mother whose son died fighting for ISIS at the age of 22. He was just 17 years old when he was radicalised and decided to join after having been bullied in high school. To the son, seeking help from these organisations might be the solution but to a mother it meant losing her son forever. Her son became as good as dead without actually having died. His mother and family had to face the social and emotional consequences of radicalisation and along with grief it also brings an intense shame to the family. It becomes very difficult for the family to carry the burden.
One painful story that moved me was of Nicola Benyahia, the mother of Rasheed Benyahia who was killed fighting for ISIS at the tender age of 19 in 2015. She lost her son at such a young age and received the news of her son's death even before he could celebrate his 20th birthday.
“As soon as I knew where he was, I knew then I was never going to see him again.
I knew that even if he wanted to come back he couldn’t, every day it was more likely that he would never come back," Mrs Benyahia said in a news report.
"I was just waiting for him to be killed. My grief started as soon as I knew where he was" these were the painful words of the mother who was informed about her son's death a week after ISIS militants massacred 130 people in the Paris attack.
And since then she has been battling extremism - as her lament for a radicalised son. She has since then established an anti radicalisation charity and helped families and mothers facing emotional and social consequences of violent radicalisation and provides counselling services to the parents who have lost their sons and to those who are worried about their vulnerable children.
This not about just one or two stories but there are thousands of such painful stories, but the pain remains there forever.
But again the question here is - Who is to blame for the sufferings of both the mother and the son?
Where are we going wrong ? Where does the problem lie?
Is it the lack of education or radicalisation in the name of religion or is there more?
These are the questions that have no easy answers globally. And these questions have become the reason as to why we have been working on this issue of CVE in the hope of not letting any more mothers lose their sons to this horror. We aim to not just educate and spread awareness but address the roots of these issues and find a solution.
We urge the government, the youth, the citizens, the companies to join hands and fight together.
Chapter Eight: The cries of teenagers.
Cyberbullying has increased since the emergence of additional social networking websites, even though the government of various countries has laws against such attacks, these laws are yet to be fully functional. Not enough cases to change the hearts of those who don’t keep a check on their actions.
One such case is a 15-year-old girl, who was being dissed online just because of her skin colour. Harsh comments were passed on a daily basis, believe me, I’ve read those comments and they are really hurtful. This went on for a few days until one day all such comments vanished, presumably reported and blocked henceforth. After some research I found out that many social networking sites have guidelines for commenting, sharing posts etc. I’m really glad that such guidelines have been put up which helped that little girl a lot. It may not seem major but such small acts make a huge difference. Facebook blocks any such comments or posts which affect one’s personality or belief which has helped numerous people from being harassed online.Personally, I believe that pages like The Grey Army have taken a good initiative to promote peace, as all we can do is try till we succeed.
Proud mother of a teenage girl.
Chapter Nine: 26th January, not just a date but a feeling
Every 26th January, our hearts fill with pride watching the country's finest marchpast take place down the streets of Janpath in Delhi. But Republic Day isn't only a matter of an additional holiday or an extended weekend. It marks the significant progress of India into forming a nation, whole with a working heart: it's constitution.
Despite the development, we still find violent extremist behaviour in several parts of the country. Why is that? Where are we lagging? For most of the radicalized people, the cause is as simple as it can be.
The first page of the Indian Constitution promises justice, liberty and equality. While this is a big step, it's been 70 years since we've enjoyed independence and yet a large section experiences discrimination. The reservation of seats haven't helped as expected and 70 years is enough time to learn that a change in the system is needed.
Not being able to feel comfortable in your own country, is one reason why people get lured into the so-called benefits radical groups provide.
It's time we address the problem soon and bring about a change that removes discrimination and gives citizens what they deserve.
~Thoughts on Republic Day
