We recall thousands of great men and women for the great
service they rendered to mankind and we respect them and even worship them and
we recall as many wicked characters who had no qualms, with a shudder
throughout our life. I need not quote the names of a number of great personalities
that we are already familiar with.
Sunday July 22, 2012 was the first anniversary of a massacre
committed by a Norwegian youth Anders Breivik, aged 32. On the faithful day
which is impossible to wipe out our memory the youth cold-bloodedly murdered 77
Norwegian citizens most of them teenagers by spraying bullets who assembled at
the Island of Utoeya.
To commemorate the anniversary of the blood-chilling
massacre thousands of Norwegians gathered on the lawn of a building at the
Island of Utoeya who were the near and dear ones of the victims who fell to the
shower of bullets triggered by the wicked man and thousands assembled at the
site, many of them who had a providential escape. They still recall that
fateful day with shivers running down their spines.
Eskin Pederson the leader of the youth wing of the Labour
Party was quoted as saying on the solemn occasion, his words I quote here “He
took away some of our loveliest roses but could not stop the spring”. Heart
rending, touching and poetic words can never ever be forgotten.
Norway, as we people know is a country well-known for its
tranquility while a host of countries across the world are reeling under the
atrocities committed by terrorists as well as the authoritarian rulers. That
was why when the news of the gut-wrenching incident reached our ears from
Norway we were shocked and embarrassed beyond words. If such type of incidents
had been reported from countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq et al, we
would not have experienced such poignant rage and indignation.
He was smiling with no emotions of anger visible on his face
while he was triggering the gun felling those present there.
On being caught and questioned he was remorseless and
keeping a pleasant face and pleaded guilty for the shocking deed he committed.
On being questioned further, as to what actually prompted him or compelled him
to commit such a dastardly crime his cool response was that he wanted to
prevent a ‘Muslim Invasion’ and was against the immigration laws of the Labour
Party and multi-cultural society. His anger was against the Labour party Govt
led by Jens Stoltenberg.
During the commemoration meeting the thousands of citizens
present there offered floral tributes at the very site the innocents fell to
the bullets.
Prior to the commemoration ceremony after one minute prayer a girl who had the misfortune of seeing her
boy-friend falling to the bullet sprayed by the assassin, sang two
heart-rending songs.
Besides the youth leader, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
and a number of govt functionaries were present at the venue to pay homage to
the departed souls.
The trial of Anders Breivik, the assassin lasted for 10-weeks
and he is waiting the verdict which is supposed to be on August 24, 2012.
As capital punishment is not permitted by law in Norway and certain
other European nations he is likely to languish inside the four walls of the
prison for the rest of his life.
Let me, as an Indian, offer my homage to the innocent ones
who lost their lives who fell to an assassin’s bullets.
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