World War two resulted in roughly 70 million fatalities, the Mongol conquests resulted in 60 million deaths, the toll of the first World War was at least 50 million and conquests by the Empire of Japan resulted in the death of an estimated 20 million people. And the death-toll just keeps on adding up: Vietnam War—and the infamous Operation Orange—wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the current crisis in the Middle East and North Africa.

The deadliest and bloodiest wars in the history of mankind have shook the foundation of human existence. This diabolic, terrifying form of violence that litters the history has questioned humanity again and again. But, have we learnt a lesson?

No, it seems we haven’t learnt the lesson yet. Despite being fully aware of the consequences, we have been trodding the same path over and over again. Even after knowing what it is like to lose one’s family members, friends and sometimes the whole community, we repeat the same thing over and over again.

If this process continues, the day isn’t far when no people will survive to kiss the land they fought so hard to conquer. There will be no battle-redeemed freedom to cherish, no hard-won order to establish and no humans to tell the story.

“Love lights more fire than hate extinguishes,” the old adage goes. When we choose trust over despair and sympathy over indifference, we realise that the mighty mountains of faith are too strong to be shaken by the wind of hate. The heat of the sun never empties the ocean. Its time to get away from suffering and affliction, mourning of hopelessness, misery of injured people, crying of forlorn orphans. We humans should realise that ultimately there is nothing in what we are fighting for. At the end of the day, all of us, we’re in the same boat. Trying to  push, kick and throw each other won’t solve the problem.  

Acharya studies at Trinity International College