[softy54534]

Hi Rajasaranam,
Logically when you want to compare any two, it should be apples with apples & not with oranges. Likewise, when we speak on the topic of committing terrorist acts, Kattabomman committed terrorist acts but Nethaji never committed terrorist acts. He just got aid from Japan and Germany in the form of weapons and training for his army. INA (Indian National army) never killed any Jews, they were fighting against the British, in and around India. Therefore, no one can accuse Nethaji for the Nazi crimes in the Second World War. So, your comparison is totally wrong.

Secondly, on terrorism, irrespective of which side you are standing, no terrorist acts of killing innocent people can ever be justified by any people. What so ever your noble cause may be, you do have right to take the life of an innocent person. When one starts killing innocent people routinely for a certain cause, he is a terrorist. I agree the small beneficiary group around him will always call him a hero but for the general majority and on the scale of human right records he is a terrorist. Whether you like it or not, whether you agree or not, majority in the world will call him a terrorist based on the human rights records. In this case, we have to accept the rational majorities view and not the small beneficiary group’s view.
Even the band of dacoits will call their leader a hero, but in reality, he is a desperado. The world can never accept the band’s view; he is to be weighted on the scale of human rights and condemned as a criminal.

You logic of comparison is again wrong this time. You are comparing Raja Raja Cholan who was a king trying to establish a larger kingdom with a feudal lord who was just plundering and murdering people to loot.

I agree with the point that the history at those times; when all kings and rulers were always fighting against each other and bought misery to the common people. It was their way of life, people had no other choice, they had to accept it, and the local people always unquestionably hailed their leaders as their heroes. Definitely, nothing can be done against it now. However, we can certainly avoid portraying these despots as our national heroes.

Of course, I am not interested in branding X Y and Z as terrorists, but would also not like these X, Y & Z to be depicted as a selfless national heroes.

I agree with you that we need some heroes to make people understand that they are the true heroes of the future. India has plentiful of noble heroes with virtue/integrity/morality and uprightness. Only these people should be projected as heroes to inspire / motivate/ encourage the present and future generation for a prosperous and glorious India.