Where fear is, happiness is not, said one Roman stoic philosopher many, many moons ago. When terror is put on the people, either physically or psychologically, it is peace that takes to the corner rattling and sheds copious tears.

This is happening to our country today. Our people are under siege. Rumourmongers are terrorising our people in the south. The nation is called to be on full alert.

Kidnapping has happened in the south because of porous borders we share with our neighbours. Across the border in India, tribes are fighting for reasons that have nothing to do with us. As we ought to be, we are vigilant. Our armed forces personnel are at the borders, making sure that people this side of our land are safe.

But the stories we get from the borders everyday are unsettling. We hear that people by hundreds have been massacred and some of them are seeking shelter in Gelephu. Our reporters went to Gelephu immediately and found out that the story is wholly untrue.

There are many such people who are making up stories and creating fear in the society. We have talked to the people in Gelephu, interacted with armed forces personnel and loitered around like the people of the town dead into the night. There is nothing there, no threat, nothing to fear from.

Indian tribes are fighting among themselves, and because of porous border our army and police are fully engaged to keep our people safe this side of the border. This is a highly commendable job that our security and law keepers are doing at the borders today. We have to be immensely grateful; we are.

But when people churn out stories and paint dangerous pictures, implications will be far-reaching. It is often small and unimportant incidents that hurl contented and peace-loving societies to complicated confrontations. Let it not be so with the lives of two sovereign brothers this day.

We need to understand that baseless rumours do us no good. Creating fear is a crime when there is no need of it. What we require today is strength of mind and character. These have been our greatest assets in the shaping of our homes, secure and at peace with ourselves and with our neighbours. These are the assets that we need to give extra life in times such as these when rumourmongers are going haywire with baseless and tasteless stories.

Rumours are things airy that cause fear. And fear is the beginning of all things detrimental.