Why is Pak school reopening is as important as millions marching in Paris

Survivors of the deadliest carnage at Army Public School in Pakistan returned back to school in a country terrorised by Taliban

Swati Chandra | January 12, 2015




Dressed in school uniforms and carrying books and pens in their bags, school mates of 134 children, who were massacred on December 16 in Peshawar, returned to their school to resume their studies.  With this these tiny but bold individuals chose to send a message to the terrorists, who seem to have free run in Pakistan. Their act is as significant as millions who took out a rally in Paris on Sunday.

Last month's massacre killed 150 people including 134 students at an army-run school in Peshawar when Pakistan Taliban militants broke into Army Public School and methodically killed the children. As an aftermath of the attack, most of the schools across Pakistan had been shut until Monday.

And in Paris on Sunday, more than one million people assembled on the streets of Paris on Sunday and carried out solidarity march in protest against the terror attacks that killed 17 people including 10 journalists of French satirical Charlie Hebdo in the three-day bloodshed in France,

World leaders including more than 40 presidents and prime ministers of various countries were present on the occasion. People of all religions and races swarmed in central Paris.

French president Francois Hollande, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and families and friends of the victims led the procession followed by lakhs of people. The procession began from near the place where gunmen killed journalists of Charlie Hebdo and 2 policemen on January 7.

The procession is described as the largest in the modern French history. Rallies were also planned in London, New York, Sydney, Tokyo and Madrid.

The attack at the Charlie Hebdo is considered to one of the deadliest terrorists attacks in France.

People were carrying placards and flags bearing three words- “Je Suis Charlie” that has become popular as a slogan of unity and defiance.

“We are all Charlie, we are all police and we are all Jews of France,” French prime minister Manuel Vallas said.

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