6.11.2007

Nightmare on Dark Streets


For quite sometime now, I have developed in interest in the study of ethnic conflicts, anywhere in the world.
I try to read up on them and try and form a perspective, not an opinion. About an year back I had read about the Rwandan conflict in The Economist - a highly liked magazine. It was a display of one of the worst facets of human behaviour; I wouldnt' hesitate in ranking it alongside the Jewish presecution at the hands of Hitler's army. Just like the German dictator and his men found out innovative ways to end innocent lives, in Rwanda too, people were pushing themselves to the edge in devising the grossest of ways to kill people. It was a conflict between the numerically larger Hutus and the Tutsis, who were in minority. To be sure, during the Tutsi rule, even Hutus had to face hardships. But nothing can justify the massacre that was witnessed by the so called Big Brothers of the world with stark stoicism.

Children were made to eat the brains of their parents, people's mouths were padlocked, rape and murder of women, the most likely casualties of such conflicts were rampant.

It was at this time that the word failed to play its part and take note. All the so called proponents of democracy and peace looked the other way when a small part played on their side could have saved thousands of lives.

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