Kids raise their hands against terrorism

“Are our policemen trained to identify a terrorist?” was one of the first questions thrown at ex-additional police commissioner AA Khan by a student from Podar School, Santa Cruz.

Khan was one of the five panelists at a discussion titled ‘Mumbaikars role in curbing terrorism’ held on Saturday.

Khan was one of the five panelists present who responded to questions from students aged between 13-18 years, hoping to get more information on how to fight terrorism.

Vandana Lulla, the school principal, said the event was a students initiative. “We were taken aback to see the kind of curiosity this generation has when it comes to terrorism,” she said.

The children were told that that education and socio-economic status were some of the factors leading to terrorism and that terrorists cannot be identified as they could be just about anyone.

“They were told not to get influenced or brainwashed under any circumstances and always think logically,” said Lulla. 

Khan spoke about being alert and aware about one’s surroundings and touched upon the role of policemen. “It is important to respect and develop a relationship with our policemen as all of them are not bad,” he said, adding that citizens need to help the policemen in the fight against terrorism.

Sheyam Desai, a class 12 student from IB Diploma and leader of the students council said, “The council members will now encourage other students to be more effective in their localities.”

Other panelists were Oscalyn Sarias, retired wing commander, Indian Air Force, Sandip Goyal, founder chairman Dentsu India, Bindu Sukeshini, VP marketing, Future Generali and Sultan Kazi, VP Authentic India Pvt Ltd.