Can Weapons Save Us?

The security guard of our village Gulab Din kept a heavy and long stick in his hand that measure about two inch in thickness. It was the only weapon he always had in his hand. One early morning a news broke in the village that a thief had beaten Gulab Din in black and blue. The incident took place at midnight when Gulab Din was sitting on a platform at the end of a street. All was going well but suddenly someone attacked him from backside and our security guard turned unconscious. His only weapon, the long and thick stick could not save him at the time of danger.

We often read in newspapers that a gang of robbers robbed a bank and the guards were disarmed. Sometimes the story goes other way as the guard of some house or a bank made the thieves fled away and saved the inmates or money in the bank. In such circumstances, I am inclined to think whether weapons can save us. In all the above cases, the victims had weapons but they could not use them. Consequently, they could not save themselves from their enemies. The things that matter in all these situations, are activeness, cleverness, vigilance and to do the things at the right time. Without these things, weapons are useless. It does not matter you have them or not.

In 1979 when I was a school-going boy, Soviet Union of that time invaded Afghanistan with her full force. Soviet Union occupied the Afghan territories and innumerable Afghans migrated to the neighboring countries. Thousands were killed in the cities of Afghanistan. Russian forces devastated the victim country at large scale. However, the militant attacks of Afghan people embarrassed the Russian forces though they were equipped with modern weapons. What did Afghan people do? They snatched their arms and made the soviet forces stand in a corner. Certainly, you will mention here about the American aid. But it came far after Afghan people offered the sacrifice of their own lives.

In 2001, the only super power of the world repeated the history in Afghanistan. The whole world was stunned at American carpet-bombing. Once again, Afghanis were in the frames of war. Again, a SUPER POWER got scandalous defeat in Afghanistan. Did their missiles win the battle? Did their Air Force win the hearts of Afghanis? Did their sophisticated machine guns leveled public opinion in their favor? It did not happen that way. Now America is trying to boost up good relations with Pakistan to quit from Afghanistan. If weapons were able to save Americans, why did they decide to leave the region under the pressure of their subjects?
 
After quitting from Afghanistan, Soviet Union collapsed. Many of its states announced independence. Weapons cannot save the integrity of a SUPER POWER. At that time, weapons were on sale in Russia to meet the economic needs of the country. The morale of the nation was seriously affected. The weapons were jeering at the Russians. Corruption was the gift of this war that penetrated in to the roots of Russian society. The conditions are same in Masco even today.

The day of December 16, 1971 witnessed that one of the world's best army surrendered before Indian Generals. The West Pakistan transformed into Bangladesh leaving a shameful stain on the face of Pakistan history. Pakistanis were crying in their homes. The shameful defeat had broken their hearts. Almost 90,000 soldiers and officers of Pak Army were captured as war prisoners. The loads of light and heavy bombs were set to fire in the slums of Dhaka and other cities of West Pakistan, but history made its way through arms.

World's nuclear countries are manufacturing more and more nuclear weapons. Will they save the world with this or destroy it? The World cannot forget the tragedy that took place in Japan. Who does not know the misery of Japanese Nation? Even then, World's champions are seeking the remedies of human miseries in making more and more weapons. When will we humans understand the fact that weapons cannot save this world? The world needs more peace, mutual understanding, tolerance, courage to listen the opponent’s point of view and a collective effort to make this earth a better place for living for the entire human race.