E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Is There an Alternative to… 181and implement government policy in support of the soidentifiedperpetrators of injustice, and in the minds of peoplein general. It becomes necessary to create fear in the minds ofthe people for two reasons. Firstly, the terrorist or the guerrillawants to ensure that he is not betrayed to the police or theauthorities, that his plans are not foiled by the transmission ofintelligence about his intentions, his movements, thewhereabouts of his arsenals, etc. To some extent, he doesdepend on ideological sympathy for the cause that he espouses;but since all the people who live in the territory in which heoperates may not share his ideology or his perception of thecause, or belief in his methods, he wants to ensure safetythrough deterrence or fear of retaliation. He also wants to provethat the State or the representatives of vested interests cannotguarantee the safety of the populace; that the common citizen isat his mercy, and can buy security only through acquiescenceor silence. The objective of the terrorist thus is to paralyse theadministration, to expose its ineffectiveness, its inability toprotect even the common citizen who is innocent; to show thatthe writ of the government does not run; that its force, orsuperiority in force, is a myth. To achieve this objective, theterrorist uses the weapon of fear. He does not confine histargets to leaders and officers of the government or the leadersand symbols of social injustice or to those who are opposed tohis views, He is indiscriminate. The terrorist does notdiscriminate in the use of terror. There is no longer anydistinction between the innocent and the guilty. All are targets,inasmuch as injury done to them can set off waves of rear andinsecurity. Physical targets too are not confined to strong pointsor logistical systems or armouries. The terrorist resorts toindividual murders, blowing up of buses, trains and tracks,indiscriminate firing into assembled gatherings, kidnappings ofimportant human targets or their relatives, ambushing,waylaying, hijacking, blowing up of hotels, banks, hospitals,