So if all of these victories are meaningless, then why wage a War?
What is war in reality? Why is it so aggressively brought into action instead of choosing a calm and non-violent way of finding a solution to issues?
Well, I believe that it has a lot more going on beneath the surface. Read on to know more about it....
So 'War' is a conflict between two states or countries, as we all commonly understand. The war is not only caused due to economic competition or territorial dispute, but also defensive and revolutionary reasons, nationalism and ideological differences and now technological wars too.
Historically, we all know about the two World Wars - World War 1 and World War 2. These were major global conflicts involving numerous countries and significant casualties.
World War 1 (1914-1918): Known as the "Great War". It resulted in the deaths of over 16 million people, both soldiers and civilians and caused widespread destruction and societal upheaval. This war was a result of a complex web of factors, including political alliances, nationalism and militarism.
World War 2 (1939-1945): Called as the 'deadliest conflict' in human history. It resulted in an estimated 70 to 85 million deaths, including both military personnel and civilians. This war was a result of the unresolved issues from WW1 and the rise of aggressive ideologies like Nazism and Fascism. This war saw the use of new technologies, including tanks, aircraft and for the first time, nuclear weapons.
Sophistically, the main motto behind waging a war is to destroy the enemy's ability to fight and the will to fight. Such conflicts cause restrictions to trade, control and manipulation of financial resources, cyber warfare, etc.
Major Implications of war are not just physical, but psychological too:
But do you know what are the major and severe implications of war?
Yes, of course, we all know the physical damage that it renders, such as loss of lives, devastation of properties. The entire city gets demolished in one strike, loss of institutions such as schools and education centres, hospitals, economic centres, etc. All of these lead to the forceful displacement of people, resettlement into a new territory, at times creating a refugee environment too.
While everyone focuses on such physical aspects, nobody bothers to even think about the sociological and psychological effects on the minds of such people. Such war scenarios cause a total loss of properties and also forced and involuntary displacement brings with it a lot of negative consequences on those victims and war survivors, which are too much for them to deal with.
They not only lose their social network and cultural traditions but also face concerns such as poverty, as these people are uprooted from their habitat and moved to a total stranger's piece of land. This leads to language barriers, disruption in schooling or learning, racism and discrimination, loss of property and difficulty in finding affordable housing and employment.
Such forceful migration/displacement also leads to loneliness, harassment from peers, trust issues, torture, physical abuse, rape, extreme fear, lack of resources, malnutrition and also cases of exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery. In certain cases, it also leads to suicidal instances and other psychotic disorders.
In John Pepper Clark's poem "How Do Those Who Escape the Shattered Shell Become Prisoners," he symbolises 'shattered shell' as broken past or pain of loss, while 'become prisoners' reflects how memories, trauma or external societal constraints can restrict their freedom. We can understand from his work that though people can escape physical confines, it will not guarantee emotional or psychological liberation.
But it does not mean that such a community have no relief.
Reliefs that can be provided to such war victims and refugees:
Today, we are aware and quite vocal about the concerns related to mental health, and so it is necessary to bring solutions for such migrant communities or refugees by integrating mental health services into General Healthcare, so that it ensures that these refugee and war migrants receive the support they need. The community should promote social inclusion programs, and engagement of such people should be highly encouraged so that they feel more connected and supported, which can improve their mental health and well-being.
Apart from the community support, the government and organisations should also prioritise addressing these social determinants, providing access to mental health services and promoting social inclusion activities of such displaced/migrated communities.
Impact of war on the World's Geology:
War is something that is never going to give any productive outcome. It not only affects the human race, but it also affects our environment. Not only does it affect the targeted area and population, but it also impacts the world's geology significantly. It causes extensive destruction and modification of landscapes, impacting soil composition, increasing erosion, disturbing vegetation, etc. Also, military activities can introduce foreign materials like explosives, metals and other chemicals into the air, soil and also cause potential contamination to water resources, which in turn impacts/harms plant life and human health.
Nuclear weapons, radiation, cancer and genetic defects in humans:
As countries are now using new technologies for war, the introduction of nuclear weapons poses a great threat to the entire world. Nuclear weapons also spread radioactive isotopes, leading to biodiversity loss, causing genetic issues in the current and future population, causing cancer; epidemic outbreaks due to the release of certain pathogens and certain radiations also cause genetic conditions affecting future generations too.
Focusing on collaboration and peaceful resolutions, give up on hatred and strengthen International Co-operation:
Knowing that the war is always going to bring destructive results, it is our responsibility, as a human race, to treat each other as humans and not to identify others as members of a particular religion or political group, etc. Let us all, together, give up on rage and ego and let us focus on educating the public about the benefits of non-violent conflict resolution.
Ensure strengthening International Co-operation by building trust and reducing likelihood of conflict, collaborate on trade and security, target and address root causes such as poverty, inequality and human rights abuse, focus on mechanisms for resolving disputes peacefully through dialogue and negotiation by signing International Treaties and establish robust international legal frameworks to encourage mediation and conciliation.
Then and only then, can we have a peaceful piece of land with a happy human race in its entirety, to flourish together with love and brotherhood, absence of hatred and ego; thereby, promising to gift a better and peaceful world to live in, to our future generations.