The heartless shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn on GS Road, Guwahati, on Monday, 26 October, which claimed five precious lives, including four members of the same family, has left us deeply shocked. Those killed included hotel co-owner Helena Bharali, her brother Bhudev Bharali, her son Debarshi Kashyap, daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap, and staff member Narayan Das. The alleged accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, had taken the hotel on lease. What is particularly disturbing here is that, according to police reports, a dispute over the hotel’s lease may have triggered this terrible tragedy. Just imagine, how could a petty disagreement over property become so serious that five human lives were wiped out in a matter of moments?

This shocking incident should make us think deeply about the direction in which our society is moving. Are we gradually losing sight of our sense of compassion, patience and respect for human life? Have greed, selfish ambitions and wounded egos become so powerful that even the lives of innocent people count for nothing in the eyes of some individuals?

Sadly, we seem to be living in an age when material wealth is often valued more than moral wealth. People struggle endlessly to amass money, property, power and social status. But what is the worth of all these possessions if we end up losing our humanity along the way? Ironically, we have learned to build magnificent houses and luxurious hotels, but have we learned to build peaceful relationships with our fellow human beings?

At a deeper level, the human mind can become its own worst enemy when anger takes control. A person blinded by rage may stop thinking clearly and begin to see others as enemies. When such feelings are allowed to grow unchecked, even a small disagreement can turn into a deadly confrontation.

Of course, anger itself is a natural human emotion. But letting anger overpower our conscience is a different matter. A moment of madness can destroy what years of love, care and hard work have built. Once a bullet leaves the gun, no amount of regret can bring back the life it has taken.

In a tragic twist, the accused himself was later killed in a police encounter after he allegedly attempted to snatch a police officer's service pistol. What began as a dispute over a lease thus ended in the loss of not five but six lives.

The United States has long been bloodied by repeated mass shootings, raising serious questions about gun culture and public safety. India certainly has different gun laws and social conditions. Nevertheless, should the Guwahati tragedy not serve as a wake-up call to us? When firearms end up in the hands of people who cannot control their anger, even an ordinary dispute can become a bloodbath. A gun licence may permit someone to possess a weapon, but it certainly does not give anyone the right to take another person's life!

Certainly, laws and strict police action are necessary. But can laws alone remove hatred, greed and cruelty from the human mind? Our families, schools and society must also teach children the value of kindness, self-control, forgiveness and respect for others.

Above all, we need to look within ourselves. We are making remarkable progress in science, technology and material comforts. But are we making equal progress in becoming better human beings? We have made our smartphones smarter, but what about the minds of those who use them?

The Guwahati tragedy has taken away five precious lives. Let it also awaken our sleeping conscience. A society that grows richer in wealth but poorer in humanity is certainly heading towards a frightening future. A civilised society must never allow the madness of gun-wielding individuals to turn petty disputes into tragic funerals