Today Ajmal Kasab, one of the main accused in the Mumbai terror attacks will be sentenced. If I am to believe the news reports which came before the final sentence, then he may well be on his way to the gallows.
I have never been a supporter of capital punishment - I always believed it is a flimsy justification and as horrific as the crime you are trying to punish the criminal for.
But off late the kind of insecure and unsafe world I live in has made me more acceptable of this gross punishment. Every time I mentally debate on why a terrorist like Kasab should not be hanged the images of the IC-814 hijack saga play out fresh in front of my eyes.
It was one of the worst nightmares my country lived through, when a dreaded criminals were left scot-free as ransom for the safety of many innocent Indians. And we all know, those terrorsits then went on to plot many more acts of terrorism - costing thousands of life and colossal damage to our nation.
You can call me judgmental or inhuman or even a coward, but I don't want to live with the fear that because a Kasab is alive in one of our jails, me or someone else can be held for ransom for his release. I don't want to go through the pain, grief and uncertainty, other fellow Indians went through for 6 long days in the winter of 1999.
Yes, I can very confidently say, that I do not trust our systems and security processes which are very capable of another episode like the IC-814!
Also, we keep complaining about our police and armed forces, for not doing enough to keep the people of this nation safe from incidents like 26/11, but have we ever thought how do they feel when they risk their lives to catch dreaded criminals like - Maulana Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and then watch these men walk off with a smile on their face? -
What such sights do to their morale??
We debate because - Kasab is alive, what were his chances 1 year 5 months back, when the attack was on?
I am sure there is never enough justification for taking away another life - human or otherwise, but then why justify killing, when in self -defense? Why justify wars? Why justify counter terrorist attacks? Why call the commandoes who killed the terrorists on 26/11 Mumbai attack - Heroes?
I am aware, that the hanging of Kasab is not going to make much difference to the difficult times we live in. Maybe he is just a small fish, a misguided youth who will pay for the crimes of many others who directed him from across the borders.
But my only hope is - his end will show others like him, that what they do is not considered heroic and humane, that they are mere foot soldiers and their lives mean nothing to their leaders, maybe more to their own families. That like the people they killed for their salvation, there will be others who will kill them for theirs.....
I don't think wanting Kasab to be hanged makes me less humane - from where I see it - its just an act of self-defense on my part!! which is justified by Law - Universally......
You can call me judgmental or inhuman or even a coward, but I don't want to live with the fear that because a Kasab is alive in one of our jails, me or someone else can be held for ransom for his release. I don't want to go through the pain, grief and uncertainty, other fellow Indians went through for 6 long days in the winter of 1999.
Yes, I can very confidently say, that I do not trust our systems and security processes which are very capable of another episode like the IC-814!
Also, we keep complaining about our police and armed forces, for not doing enough to keep the people of this nation safe from incidents like 26/11, but have we ever thought how do they feel when they risk their lives to catch dreaded criminals like - Maulana Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and then watch these men walk off with a smile on their face? -
What such sights do to their morale??
We debate because - Kasab is alive, what were his chances 1 year 5 months back, when the attack was on?
I am sure there is never enough justification for taking away another life - human or otherwise, but then why justify killing, when in self -defense? Why justify wars? Why justify counter terrorist attacks? Why call the commandoes who killed the terrorists on 26/11 Mumbai attack - Heroes?
I am aware, that the hanging of Kasab is not going to make much difference to the difficult times we live in. Maybe he is just a small fish, a misguided youth who will pay for the crimes of many others who directed him from across the borders.
But my only hope is - his end will show others like him, that what they do is not considered heroic and humane, that they are mere foot soldiers and their lives mean nothing to their leaders, maybe more to their own families. That like the people they killed for their salvation, there will be others who will kill them for theirs.....
I don't think wanting Kasab to be hanged makes me less humane - from where I see it - its just an act of self-defense on my part!! which is justified by Law - Universally......
Image courtesy - www.rediff.com
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