From the pen of Alok Mishra:

Dear readers, writers, and academicians!

I would like to start today with a shloka in Sanskrit. It reads the following:

“पुस्तकस्था तु या विद्या परहस्तगतं धनम् |

कार्यकाले समुत्पन्ने न सा विद्या न तद् धनम् ||”

What the shloka means is the knowledge that resides in the book and the wealth that rests with someone else are of no use at all. At the time of need, none of the two will be usable!

Let me tell you why did I start this conversation (we really need dialogues now). You must have heard about the sad demise of eighty-four lives in the Nice terror attack. Intellectuals with malice designs and apologists will keep on ranting the escape; however, can we, those who think and act right, come to the fore against terrorism? I request everyone who reads these lines – please write something that tells the world an apple is an apple and a cactus is a cactus. There cannot be any defence for the act of violence against the innocents. Let’s bring out the most appealing verse; the most touching stories; the most questioning non-fiction articles. Let the words do the talking now. I hope the efforts by right-minded people will compel those misguided ones to think who get into the trap of terrorism.

My heartfelt emotions are with the family of those who have lost their life in the Nice attack and other recent attacks in Bangladesh and Meccah. To ignite the torch of light against terrorism, here is my spark:

No religion asks to kill

innocents.

Do you see, o tyrants?

It’s against the ‘Will’

of the one

under whose flag

you slay and get slain

‘happily’.

Other than this request to write something against terrorism, I also have to include the essays written by two Pakistani school students for a competition hosted by Ashvamegh. Please read the essays by:

Lizzy Merrall

Janelle Rego

Many thanks for your readership, support, and enthusiasm, dear Ashvameghians! We are far, but will surely reach the goal that we envisioned when we started Ashvamegh! Keep reading; keep writing; keep spreading the good notes.

Alok Mishra

Editor-in-Chief

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