Capital Punishment – I say yes to it

The headlines of a national daily on 31st August read “Staying execution in Rajiv case, High Court to hear cruelty plea”. Most national newspapers carried the same headline that day. The high court had passed an interim order staying the execution of the three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, which was due to be carried out on September 9th.
Now the onus of reply is upon the Centre and Supreme Court as the trio has cited the 11year delay of disposal of their mercy petition and subsequent execution as inhuman and against the “Right to Life” under Article 21 of the Constitution.  I totally lost my mind reading the whole gimmick of the Indian Judiciary system. At what point shall the country and its leaders stop making a mockery of the democracy? The Supreme Court’s decision shall have a bearing on the execution of other convicts like Afzal Guru (his credentials pertain to the Parliament Bomb Blast).
What I am not able to figure out is that if these convicts talk about cruelty and “Right to Life”, should the victim and his distressed family reel under the weight of Death”? How on earth are we to feel mercy for these brutes, who decide to cut short lives, end somebody’s world just because it suits their whimsical agendas and uncultivated minds?
The same daily that I mentioned earlier, on the same day carried an essay by George Orwell ‘A Hanging’ published in 1931, as their campaign against Capital Punishment. The essay is a vivid personal narration of a real hanging as experienced by Orwell while he served the British Police. As expected it softens and moves the reader’s heart. I myself felt a tinge of pain and pity for the executed criminal but so was it.  As much as I appreciated his heart wrenching narration as a writer, it certainly did not dissuade me from my stance.
How can anybody possibly justify not hanging Ajmal Kasab, who traumatized not just Mumbai but an entire nation in a span of 60 minutes. He and his gang didn’t simply kill; they maimed lives, murdered childhoods and stabbed souls.  It took 3 years for our efficient judicial system to sentence him the death penalty and it might take another 30 years before it is executed.
These hideous creatures still proclaim the “Right to Life” and enjoy the right to kill. They go about their horrendous missions and subsequently savour Indian hospitality for an eternal time, thanks to our abominable political games and feebled and flawed judiciary. While we, the citizens and the victims watch this ridiculous dance of democracy like dumb and retarded pygmies.
Why in India do we politicize every matter?  The day the Tamil Nadu Assembly took false pride in passing the resolution against execution of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins, the J&K chief minister tweeted that had a similar resolution been passed by the J&K Assembly for Afzal Guru, would the reaction be that muted? Come on, I expected more sensibility and solidarity out of Omar Abdullah than just petty politics. It would have impressed more had he tweeted that irrespective of any Assembly’s resolution, the J&K Assembly will not let go of its criminals loose.
While, Mr. Abdullah has only tweeted, an independent MLA Mr. Rashid has already raised a resolution in J&K Assembly asking clemency for Afzal Guru. Mr. Rashid rationalizes that Capital Punishment is inhuman and when other perpetrators of crime and violence are still loose why hang Afzal Guru? Aren’t you totally frustrated with his ridiculous, insane argument? I mean, just because you couldn’t bring justice in one crime, the other criminal and crime has the right to acquittal? What sort of lame logic is that?
What shall be the outcome of these political games is for the more erudite analysts to predict. But what I know is that despite the Supreme Court’s verdict of death penalty for Ajmal Kasab, he still has a right to file a mercy petition to the President of India and the presiding President shall take the call. For God sake, can the Constitution, the Politics and the Judiciary for once not keep their political agendas aside and make an exception to hang this man till death immediately.
I am no sadist, nor am I callous but I am no saint either. I certainly feel no mercy and sympathy for a man who has not an iota of remorse or guilt for committing barbaric crimes, whatsoever his history, background and circumstances be. Does he really have a right to live after devouring hundreds of innocent lives?
It is our good fortune that we live in a democracy but it is our misfortune that this democracy is divided and ruled by politics. You and I are no fools though the government thinks us so. Did the Attorney General or the Tamil Nadu CM really feel mercy for the assassins or Mr. Rashid and Mr. Abdullah truly feel sorry about Afzal Guru being hung? It is nothing but a sham for personal political footage.  And it’s a shame that we are part of it.
Whether you and I are for Capital Punishment or not but I am sure we are definitely against politicizing it.

02 comments on “Capital Punishment – I say yes to it

  • Kunjan , Direct link to comment

    I feel the same anger and frustration. Almost everyone does. But I wonder what in my day-to-day life can I do to make a difference besides voting.

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