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Emphasising that all forms of violence is terrorism, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Monday said creating and spreading awareness among the common people is the key to combating the global menace.
Inaugurating a conference on terrorism, the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and the minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh, organised by the Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism in Mumbai, Ravi Shankar said India is surrounded by terrorism and disturbances on all four sides.
"India is a sleeping giant. It is still sleeping. It has to wake up and address this menace. Take the case of Sri Lanka. Lankan people ask me why India doesn't interfere and bring about a change in the neighbourhood. They feel if India interferes, their problems will be solved," Ravi Shankar said.
Stressing that the situation in Bangladesh is worse than the world believes, Ravi Shankar said India must intervene in that problem also.
"The Indian government's intervention will bring about a lot of positive change in the region," he said.
Highlighting the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits, Ravi Shankar said, "In the United States, there is a row over the thousands of American troops killed in Iraq. But nobody speaks about the 7 lakh Iraqis who have lost their lives in the war. Likewise, in India, nobody talks about the plight of lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits who have been displaced from their
homeland and live like refugees in their own nation."
On ways to tackle terrorism, Ravi Shankar said terrorism in India should not be seen from a solely religious basis.
"Take the case of Naxalism in Andhra Pradesh. That is also terrorism. What have we done about that? We must change our policies to suit the changing conditions," he said.
Ravi Shankar also stressed the importance of creating awareness among the masses. "In Uttar Pradesh, even now there are young, uneducated people who think Osama bin Laden is a great hero. We must teach such people what the truth is. Only by creating awareness, can we get the better of terrorism," he said.
Speaking at the same event, former Maharashtra chief minister Gopinath Munde said tough laws, a speedy justice system and the betterment of law enforcement agencies are the key to combating terror.