The blood curdling attack on the paramilitary forces in Kashmir last week has stoked passions across the country. And naturally so. The attack was not only deadliest and casualties suffered highest ever by security forces in a single attack, it was a direct assault on the very pride and honour of the armed forces, thousands of whom have laid down their lives in defence of their nation in Jammu and Kashmir. Sadly, there has been a furious backlash against ordinary Kashmiris across the country. Many young boys and girls, chasing their dreams in various Indian cities and towns, are being hounded and it has been seen that even the college management has been forced to give in to the demands of lumpen elements who want to damage the social fabric of the country by painting the issue with communal colours and denying education to students from a particular state and religion. There is an old saying that hatred breeds more hatred. If the dignity of even one of these harassed students has been hurt and he decides to follow the Pulwama bomber’s path, the whole country will be on fire. In view of rising tensions, a degree of restraint has to be exercised and the country’s top political leadership must lead the show. Sadly, the ruling party is only adding fuel to the fire and it seems to be using the sacrifices of the armed forces as a cannon fodder to further its political ambitions. As the military’s top commander in Kashmir, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon remarked in his press conference the other day, mothers in Kashmir should tell their sons to return home. But the contours of the process for their home-coming needs to be chalked out by the country’s political leadership which is too busy doing politics. The war has to end. How long will we continue to suffer these tragedies? Why should our children continue to get orphaned? Ordinary people of Pakistan and India want to live by each other’s happiness, not by misery. But some people seem to be getting extremely angry by the prospects of peace in the region. For them it is not good news because their shops will be shut. But the change has to take place. Our children deserve better. Our countries deserve better. And it will happen when good people in India and Pakistan join hands to defeat the nefarious designs of their enemies. This is the least they owe to their besieged people.