Malaise is deeper

Sir, - It is not enough to merely condemn the September 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. From the death and suffering of innocent people, and the fire-fighters and police who went to help them, the world needs to learn the lesson that terrorism solves no problems, and that it needs concerted effort by all nations to stamp it out.

It is also time to think whether the underlying reason for the increase in terrorism is economic and cultural, triggered by changes in international economic functioning to which some sections of the society are unable or unwilling to adapt.

Ethnic, religious, caste and other differences that lead to violence are merely the symptoms of the deeper malaise of cultural and social breakdown or economic upheaval and the utter helplessness of the poor.

Whether at an individual level or a national level, no amount of physical protection or technical sophistication can be a protection against terrorist attacks. One hopes that at least now, the U.S. will understand what India has been saying about cross-border terrorism and realise how difficult it is to get incontrovertible proof of the sources of terrorism.

Maj. Gen. (retd.) S.G.Vombatkere,

Mysore

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