The Evil of Extremism

‘I am extremely sorry, Sir, someone said after pushing me in a queue.

The word ‘extreme’ is a beautiful word very often used in our day-to-day life.

The expression indicates a very high degree either ends of anything and far from moderate or normal.

Although it is used in various contexts, more often a person who holds extreme views is referred as an extremist.

There are various kinds of extremists in our society based on religion, moral values, nationality, language, caste, political ideology etc.,

Extremism is a complex phenomenon.

Activities such as beliefs, attitudes, feelings, action, strategies of a person or a group may also take an extreme step at times.

“34 killed as two blasts rock Hyderabad. Weekend crowds targeted; tension mounts in the Andhra Pradesh” was a recent front page news item in the dailies.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said ‘The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.’

Sometimes, the extremism is viewed as just in the case of freedom fighting; whereas some others feel as unjust and immoral.

They call it antisocial or terrorism.

In other words, the terrorist are one form of extremists.

They hold extreme views which can not be altered.

In a society, the dominant groups generally employ extreme measures to suppress the less dominant groups.

Such happenings are very common between the factory workers and administration.

Similar activities are noticed among student communities too.

Extremism leads to damage of properties, killing of people, injuring innocent people including the weaker section of the society.

Extremists employ violent means to achieve their ends.

Similarly those who want to control them are also applying violence in the form of brutality and torture which are institutionalized.

Non-violence and dialogue for a compromise often help not to go for extremism.

But extremists form a group and train young people by brain washing with their ideology.

Those who are trained in such a way do not even care for their own life.

Suicide bombers are a set of people trained in this way.

Nowadays, most of the countries are infested with extremism, and safety of human beings is not assessed.

Aero planes are hijacked, or blown off, high tower buildings are destroyed by redirecting passenger planes, railway compartments are blown off, religious and market places where innocent people assemble in large numbers are the target of bomb blasts.

It has become an every day affair that we have to bear with.

In spite of the enormous expenditure incurred by every government to provide safety and security, extremism and terrorize are the order of the day.

‘Blood for blood’ philosophy will not work to control extremism.

One of the ways for bringing down these dreadful activities is to understand the underlying reasons for such activities.

A denial of basic hum needs (poverty, inadequate healthcare, nutrition, education and employment) and justice is one of the causes of extremism.

In order to demand the human rights, groups are formed under a leadership; otherwise individual effort may not be effective.

These groups are sometimes underground or over ground and mostly clandestine.

Since every one knows the names of these groups all over the world, I do not wish to mention them here.

Sometime, I used to feel that extremism is a kind of pathological illness.

It is a disease to destroy everything around us.

Extremists live on such feeling, taking a pleasure in killing others and themselves.

Suicide is considered to be a psychological illness which feeds on the destruction life.

Whatever may be the opinions about extremism, we are bound to live with it.

Organized groups with optimum men and machines operating all over the world, demand their rights through violence which is not liked by one and all.

The consequences of extremism are numerous and they may be positive or negative.

Extremism draws the attention of one’s opponent, general public or even the international community.

Commitment to a cause is thus conveyed to the concerned, and it may lead to negotiation or intervention of third parties.

They are the positive consequences.

Extreme acts like civilian bombing, kidnappings and spread of bio-toxins are the negative consequences of extremism which are opposed by everyone and not supported by the population because of the violence involved in it.

Is it possible to eliminate extremism?

There are a number of attempts to locate and identify extremists or their leaders and apprehend or eliminate them.

Another way to eliminate the m is to prevent all their economic resources thereby crippling the ability to function.

There are civil liberties and human rights organizations which question as sympathizers.

Elimination is not the ultimate solution unless we address the underlying causes of extremism.

‘Divide and rule’ is another tool to conquer the extremists.

Such strategy can backfire sometimes and lead to increased group unity.

Therefore, as I mentioned in the beginning that extremism is a complex phenomenon.

Handling of extremism requires careful appropriate techniques which can be arrived at after analyzing the underlying reasons for the extremism.

That is what every country is trying to do with partial or full success.

Let us hope to transform the extremists through the appropriate measures in which they have great hope and faith.

Violence should be faced with non-violent methods.

About the Author

Prof.A.Narayanan

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