Cooling off period

It was not just military tension that was ratcheted up in the wake of India’s air strike on terrorist camps in Pakistan and that country’s raid in response. The muscular talk on social media and the trolling of those who disagreed have already been discussed.

When it gets personal, though, that’s taking it to another level.

Sure, former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik’s tweet in support of his country came at a volatile time. But to threaten him with physical harm were he to visit Telangana, the state his wife, Indian tennis player Sania Mirza, hails from, is not the right response. Or take the case of Madhumita Ray, a KIIT professor, who was asked to resign within 24 hours for taking an anti-war stance.

It is important to understand that it is perpetrators of terrorism who need to be brought to justice and not the ordinary Pakistani, Kashmiri or any common person for that matter.

As has been said innumerable times, if the social fabric is allowed to unravel, the terrorists have won. One can only hope that the release of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after his aircraft went down, will ratchet down the hatespeak.