Namaskar Y’all

A Crime Called War

Namaskar, Y’all by Shyama Parui

What constitutes a war crime? Murder, rape, pillage….

Pick up any history book, dust off its cover, and once you turn its pages you will find that Roman warriors, Mongolian invaders, rival nations, and many more armies were guilty of the above aggressions once they had succeeded in conquering a kingdom or land. These have been the topic of period dramas and perhaps discussions in high school. Its horrific nature compels us to focus on the hapless consequences of war and wonder, why? Did the victors stop viewing the vanquished as humans?

Taking hostages, attacks on civilians, enlisting children to fight…

When armed conflict storms into the lives of ordinary citizens it snatches away the innocence of childhood. Books get replaced with weapons, mothers and daughters are thrown into slavery, hostages and captives are subjected to gruesome deaths or forced to lead torturous lives. These dire consequences have occurred regardless of time and place. The Apache and Navajo tribes from America for example were known to avenge deaths or attacks from rival tribes by looting and killing their enemies. Warring Maharajas from ancient India left a wake of destruction that affected not only the soldiers of their time but also the future population.

Bombardment of religious, educational, and historic buildings….

With destruction of community assets such as temples, mosques, churches, museums and schools, comes the loss of knowledge and wisdom. That loss goes beyond structures and artifacts. The absence of these spaces deprives people of a sense of connection with their past and perhaps disables optimism for the future. Ruins stand as constant reminders of an existence that was brutally obliterated.

and many more intangible, undefinable crimes, and some even overlooked or forgotten.

When news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine broke out, I was listening to the radio. The reporter described a Ukrainian woman walking to the Polish border for safety. Clutching her few belongings, she braved the winter weather for a chance to still breathe. I cannot even begin to imagine what it’s like to flee your home. The place you call your own, your haven, the holder of your treasures, could be blown into bits within seconds shattering what took years to build.

I have been overwhelmed with thoughts about all the little things that affect ordinary people trapped between the line of firing. Even though, we are experiencing some relief from the two-year pandemic, the attack on Ukraine by Russia has raised alarm bells worldwide. With this sad

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