by Manish Anand
Indians are the most apologetic of the people. Even when its sovereignty is attacked, it dithers whether to punish the culprit or not. Emotionally weak are those who lead the nation, and suffer from rank indecisiveness. Having short memory, its people yield to emotional chorus for mercy for perpetrators of heinous crimes.
The president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has referred the mercy petition of the wife of Mohammad Afzal to the home secretary, and that stays the scheduled hanging of Afzal on 20 October as of now. Afzal is charged with waging war against the nation as he orchestrated terrorist attack on Parliament, which resulted in seven deaths, including of four security personnel. The attack also brought India and Pakistan close to a full-blown war.
Now, with the Special Court having held him accused and condemned him to death by hanging, the media suave colleague of him swung into action to save him. SAR Geelani, also accused in the same case, commands impressive media audience, and has stepped up efforts in this regard. The Jammu & Kashmir has been painted again in rebellious colour with its renegade politicians making Afzal a martyr for its freedom cause. The Congress leaders as weak as ever have been bowled over by the hue and cry made in the valley. The Congress High Command advisors have equally developed cold feet over hanging of Afzal.
So, where do we go?
The home secretary is expected to turn down the mercy petition. Because, pardon will portray the nation again as a soft nation, which she has been fighting hard to wriggle out of. The eyeball to eyeball response post-Parliament attack was to assert that India is not to tolerate the Pakistani design of giving her hundred cuts. And, attack on the symbol of soverignty was just intolerable. All these haapen just four years ago, not long back.
If Kashmiris really need martyrs, they can get hundreds of them as terrorists get killed by security personnel in the valley. The portrayal of Afzal as a martyr is again a voice typical of those who dream of merging with Pakistan, hoping that they would get an Islamic umbrella to enjoy fruits of life with dignity. The Congress leaders in Jammu & Kashmir as well as those of its alliance partner People's Democratic Front had always dubious credentials about their loyalty to the Indian nation-hood.
Think of those who shed blood in the name of saving the dignity of the Indian motherhood from the nefarious design of her enemies. Thousands of security personnel have laid down their lives thwarting Pakistani attempts. Their children not beaten down still dream of getting opportunity to serve for the cause of Indian nationalism, which is of course an idiotic concept for the burly aristocratic bureaucrats, feeding on British arrogance, as well as by the new class for whom the best in life is all that America has.
Damn it! Get tough against those who kill and maim innocents. Highest crime is waging war against the nation. And, for highest crime, we have capital punishment. So, go ahead and execute Afzal.
Huh, what about the neo-liberals, who call for scraping of capital punishment. Europian Union has done so, and hence India too should do so! Just tell these people to pack off to EU, because India is not Europe. India is a nation, which is always at war with its neighbours, who are well entrenched deep into India to inflict innumerable cuts upon her. Let there be a credible permanent peace, and then we would debate if we could do away with capital punishment. Till then just shut up, and let the law reach its logical conclusion.
Just hang this bloody Afzal for the sake of instilling deterrance in terrorists.
Indians are the most apologetic of the people. Even when its sovereignty is attacked, it dithers whether to punish the culprit or not. Emotionally weak are those who lead the nation, and suffer from rank indecisiveness. Having short memory, its people yield to emotional chorus for mercy for perpetrators of heinous crimes.
The president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has referred the mercy petition of the wife of Mohammad Afzal to the home secretary, and that stays the scheduled hanging of Afzal on 20 October as of now. Afzal is charged with waging war against the nation as he orchestrated terrorist attack on Parliament, which resulted in seven deaths, including of four security personnel. The attack also brought India and Pakistan close to a full-blown war.
Now, with the Special Court having held him accused and condemned him to death by hanging, the media suave colleague of him swung into action to save him. SAR Geelani, also accused in the same case, commands impressive media audience, and has stepped up efforts in this regard. The Jammu & Kashmir has been painted again in rebellious colour with its renegade politicians making Afzal a martyr for its freedom cause. The Congress leaders as weak as ever have been bowled over by the hue and cry made in the valley. The Congress High Command advisors have equally developed cold feet over hanging of Afzal.
So, where do we go?
The home secretary is expected to turn down the mercy petition. Because, pardon will portray the nation again as a soft nation, which she has been fighting hard to wriggle out of. The eyeball to eyeball response post-Parliament attack was to assert that India is not to tolerate the Pakistani design of giving her hundred cuts. And, attack on the symbol of soverignty was just intolerable. All these haapen just four years ago, not long back.
If Kashmiris really need martyrs, they can get hundreds of them as terrorists get killed by security personnel in the valley. The portrayal of Afzal as a martyr is again a voice typical of those who dream of merging with Pakistan, hoping that they would get an Islamic umbrella to enjoy fruits of life with dignity. The Congress leaders in Jammu & Kashmir as well as those of its alliance partner People's Democratic Front had always dubious credentials about their loyalty to the Indian nation-hood.
Think of those who shed blood in the name of saving the dignity of the Indian motherhood from the nefarious design of her enemies. Thousands of security personnel have laid down their lives thwarting Pakistani attempts. Their children not beaten down still dream of getting opportunity to serve for the cause of Indian nationalism, which is of course an idiotic concept for the burly aristocratic bureaucrats, feeding on British arrogance, as well as by the new class for whom the best in life is all that America has.
Damn it! Get tough against those who kill and maim innocents. Highest crime is waging war against the nation. And, for highest crime, we have capital punishment. So, go ahead and execute Afzal.
Huh, what about the neo-liberals, who call for scraping of capital punishment. Europian Union has done so, and hence India too should do so! Just tell these people to pack off to EU, because India is not Europe. India is a nation, which is always at war with its neighbours, who are well entrenched deep into India to inflict innumerable cuts upon her. Let there be a credible permanent peace, and then we would debate if we could do away with capital punishment. Till then just shut up, and let the law reach its logical conclusion.
Just hang this bloody Afzal for the sake of instilling deterrance in terrorists.
3 comments:
The demand for clemency from the civil society (barring the agitators who consider Afzal to be a martyr) is a plea against capital punishment and not a protest againts his crime. Executions in modern day democracy disregard the essence of humanity and its values. In no country has death penalty proved to be an effective deterrent. To me its a form of revenge and not punishment.
Its because of "humaninsts" like ankita tht the nation is going to the dogs.Where were you humanists when the attack on the parliament killed the innocent security personnel.Where were your voices against atrocities against humanity when the mumbai bomb blasts took place..? The execution now,will act as a solid deterrent against any further crimes against humanity in the future.
Look for the greater good dammit..
" In no country has death penalty proved to be an effective deterrent." I beg to disagree..and even it hasnt we could always be the first.I say,be tough,hang him.
Now that the intelligence agencies have received inputs that an Indain aeroplane might be hijacked by terrorists to get Afzal freed makes the case more stronger for quick hanging of the convict in the Parliament attack case. Hang him, rather he should have been shot dead years ago so that his life doen't jeopardise the lives of several innocents and puts the nation at a threat of going once again through the shame of releasing terrorists in lieu of its nationals.
Post a Comment