‘Mercy’ for Afzal Guru, Kasab....?

By: Dr. Jatendra Singh

If things keep moving the way these are.. with the same speed and same style.. the day is not far when India would be known as a country not of ‘‘death sentence convicts’’ but of ‘‘death sentence mercy appellants’’, as a country not of ‘‘convicts awaiting hanging’’ but of ‘‘convicts hanging around without being hanged’’. A look at records reveals that even if the Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab's much publicised death sentence is finally upheld, he may still not see the death gallows for another ten years just as Afzal Guru of the infamous Parliament attack has been left unhanged long enough to project himself as somebody who has been more wronged than the wrong, if at all, committed by him at the risk of triggering an ‘‘Aar Par Ki Larhai’’, to use the famous words of the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

When the founding fathers of Indian constitution laid down the rider of death sentence for the ‘‘rarest of the rarest’’ crime, they left it to the future courts to decide what qualified as the ‘‘rarest of the rarest’’ crime and they were probably so much enamoured by the countrywide mass patriotic fervour of newly achieved independence that they could hardly envisage the future possibility of anybody indulging in an act of sedition or war against India's sovereignity. Does this mean that the times have moved ahead too fast and too recklessly to be governed by the sacred spirit of a constitution which was framed over half a century ago ?
The first time India's middle class got to hear a loud discussion about the constitutional provision of a mercy appeal against death sentence was just a few years after India became a republic and Nanavati case hit the headlines bringing instant fame for Ram Jethmalani as a criminal lawyer. Admiral Nanavati had murdered the paramour of his adulterous wife in a fit of rage and the whole nation including Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru seemed to sympathise with the predicament in which such a decorated soldier had landed himself.

Much water has flown since then. Today murders, assaults and attacks are committed in return for pecuniary gains and a terror attack against India fetches the highest renumeration. To make things easier for the perpetrators, the Indian state has inadvertantly earned the dubious distinction of being a ‘‘banana republic’’ where an act of terrorism is followed by reflex condemnation from all and sundry coupled with loud platitudes and resolves from polity and society only to be soon conveniently forgotten till there is a fresh episode of yet another terror incident and the same monotonous sequence follows all over again. Unless there are clear unequivocal deterrants in the form of prompt and exemplary punishment to those who dare challenge the sovereignity of Indian republic, the nation will continue to remain at the receiving end of cunning operators who know they can hit at you at will and you neither possess the courage nor clarity to retaliate.

The Z-security guarded, militant friendly politicians who say that Afzal Guru's mercy petition be treated like that of any other mercy petitioner, are infact tacitly trying to keep the separatists in good humour. These clever smarties need to be told unequivocally that Afzal Guru's is indeed a special case because it has turned into a trial case for India's will and strength to stay as India. It is in that spirit that the common man awaits verdict on Afzal Guru. Umpathy has little regard for politicians who speak philosophical platitudes from behind the bullet proof curtains, or, to use bard's expression ‘‘.....Jo Kinaare Par Baithe Maujon Ka Nazaara Karte Hain !’’

United Jammu

Hi Everyone,

Jai Hind!

It has been over 60 years for Jammu to be discrimanted on almost all spheres by the Kashmir Leadership. The big worring factor is that even New Delhi never paid any heed to Jammu region, which has given many soldiers and martyrs to this country.

It was apparent during Amarnath agitation, that people in Jammu are truly secular and nationalist in every aspect.

We have created this blog to combine the ideas of like minded people and keep whole world aware of the ground realties which are otherwise misrepresented or not even projected at all.

This is our first step towards uniting Jammu and make its presence felt.

Regards