India, Nov. 23 -- To every citizen who believes in the power of learning, to every educator who shapes young minds, to every policymaker responsible for our shared future, to every professional entrusted with lives-and to every faith leader who guides souls-and to every follower who listens. When medical professionals-those meant to heal-are found connected to acts of lethal terror, we feel more than shock. We feel a profound sense of betrayal. We feel grief. These incidents are not just criminal events. They are tragedies that expose a deeper crisis: The crisis of an education system that teaches to dissect, experiment and kill, even redefine 'martyrdom'. How does a person who studies the human body participate in harming it? How does someone trained to save life get pulled into an ideology that destroys it? How can a person excel academically yet fail morally? Because education is not the same as human empathy. Degrees are not the same as values. Knowledge is not the same as conscience. And in the spaces where conscience is not nurtured, danger grows. When the healer becomes a source of harm, the wound is deeper. A doctor is not merely a professional-they are a symbol. A source of safety, reassurance, and hope. So when medical students, paramedical staff, or practitioners become implicated in terror plots, society feels violated twice: First by the act itself, and second by the breaking of trust. It forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth that we have raised skilled minds but not necessarily grounded hearts. The role of those who shape beliefs: educators, elders, and yes-faith teachers There is another reality we cannot ignore. While many faith leaders of different hues, work tirelessly to spread peace, compassion, and understanding, there are also 'preachers', (who may be exceptions), of one particular faith who misuse positions of religious or spiritual authority to manipulate minds. They twist teachings, distort scripture, and exploit emotional or spiritual confusion to recruit followers into extremist thinking. This is not the failure of a religion-it is the failure of those who corrupt religion for control, power, and violence. That is when radicalisation happens. Also called brain washing. These 'preachers' preach and not educate, they indoctrinate. They do not guide, they exploit. They do not speak for faith-they weaponise it. If we want to prevent radicalisation, believers and practitioners must be brave enough to acknowledge this truth-must speak out to protect, by confronting the manipulators who hide behind faith to spread hatred. Education must return to its real purpose: Transformation, not certification We often take pride in producing engineers, doctors, scientists, scholars. But skills alone cannot protect society from violence. We must ask: What is the purpose of a degree if its holder has no sense of humanity? What good is a trained mind when the heart is vulnerable to hatred? And what progress have we made if the knowledgeable become tools for destruction? True education must transform the person-not only sharpen their intellect. It must teach courage, empathy, and resilience. It must help students recognise manipulation-whether from hateful ideologues, extremist networks, or individuals misusing faith. It must teach them to question, not blindly absorb. To stand firm, not be swayed. To choose life, not violence. Radicalisation grows where emotional and moral gaps exist. When educational institutions focus only on exams and performance, these emotional gaps go unnoticed. When families overlook inner struggles, those gaps widen. When faith is taught without compassion and critical thought, those gaps deepen. And into those gaps step manipulators-some political, some ideological, some pretending to be religious guides-who offer certainty, belonging, or purpose, but demand hatred in return. Our responsibility now is collective-and urgent We must build an ecosystem where educators teach values alongside knowledge, faith leaders promote compassion, unity, and responsible interpretation, preachers preach peace and harmony, families talk, listen, and guide with empathy and institutions address not just academic needs but emotional ones. But stay alert. We must remember violence is not taught by true education. Violence grows where education is incomplete. Let us redefine education. Let us protect religion from misuse. Let us commit to building courageous hearts, wiser minds, and kinder societies. Because when education truly reaches the heart, darkness has nowhere to grow. With urgency and hope....