Author: Mark Manuel
Publication: Afternoon Despatch & Courier
Date: October 9, 2006
URL: http://cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=features&subsection=guestcolumn&xfile=October2006_markmanuel_standard143&child=markmanuel
Introduction: "If Afzal is a terrorist
today, he was surely not born one, and he needn't die one," somebody
has said. "Circumstances made him what he is. And circumstances may change
him,"
I cannot understand why such a fuss is being
made over Mohammed Afzal Guru. Taking for granted that the man is a terrorist,
and that he has been proved conclusively guilty of the attack on Parliament
in December 2001 that killed 14, why should he not be hanged to death? I believe
very simply and honestly that nobody has the right to take somebody else's
life unless he is willing to pay for it with his own. Especially criminal
types. That is what terrorists intrinsically are - because they commit crime
against the state and society. They kill in cold blood and without compunction.
For which they deserve no mercy. And to even consider pardoning somebody sentenced
to death for mass murder by a terrorist act is to belittle the memory of those
who were killed. To say nothing of causing further and deeper anguish to those
who have been bereaved by the senseless terrorist act and who are crying for
justice.
I do agree that sentencing the terrorist to
death will not bring back to life those who were killed. For that matter,
commuting his sentence also will not. But why think on these lines at all?
Unfortunately, several people are. And that is only one of the silly arguments
put up in Afzal's favour by this country that is divided over his hanging.
This kind of corny and ridiculous dialgoue I thought was reserved for absolutely
B-grade Hindi movies. Nobody with the littlest sense in them should put forward
such emotional claptrap in an issue of national interest that is so grave.
If intended to tug at the forgiving power's heartstrings, I'm afraid such
an argument would fall flat on its face, because clemency ought to be the
privilege of only ordinary citizens - and that too in the rarest cases. It
should not be considered for criminals at all. And never, ever for terrorists.
In my book, terrorists are the scum of all
criminals, they are cowards without heart. They kill innocents, children and
women included, and for fundamental causes that no religion believes in. But
there are people in India who want to give Afzal another chance. They believe
this will send a positive signal to the world. Just as there are people in
favour of him being hanged in public. They think that would be a deterrent
to other anti-nationals who might want to abuse the laws of the land. Strangely,
those in favour of pardoning Afzal are not just his family members, but ruling
party politicians, Gandhians, J&K militant groups, and social thinkers
like writer Arundhati Roy and filmmaker Anand Patwardhan.
"If Afzal is a terrorist today, he was
surely not born one, and he needn't die one," somebody has said. "Circumstances
made him what he is. And circumstances may change him," another suggests.
While a third person terms Afzal's hanging as a "cycle of revenge"
and a "mechanical approach to law and order that will derail the meaningful
dialogue for peace" that has been initiated with Pakistan. I do not know
from where people draw up the gumption to come up with tenuous arguments like
this. And why. But I will speak for myself. Hand on my heart - if somebody
of mine were killed in a terrorist act and the terrorist were sentenced to
death, I would volunteer to be the hangman for his execution. And I know I
speak for all the hypocrites as well who want to pardon Afzal only because
they have not lost anybody in the attack on Parliament.