3rd May 2010. Fateful day in the history of a nation. The day on which Justice Tahilyani pronounced verdict sentencing the lone surviving gunman Muhammed Ajmal Kasab of 26/11 Mumbai carnage to capital punishment which took away the lives of 166 persons. Besides Muhammed Ajmal Kasab, there were nine more assassins with him to hold the city to ransom for three days i.e. from 26/11 to 29/11. The security personnel in fierce encounters with ten terrorists finished off nine except Ajmal Kasab who survived the encounter with grievous wounds. As per my knowledge, the bodies of nine assassins killed in the encounter with the security men are still “enjoying” happy moments in a Mumbai hospital mortuary with no claimant coming to the fore. The wicked, cold-blooded leaders of LeT (Laskar-e-Taiba) who roam free in Pakistan with the knowledge and overt connivance of Pak Government I don’t know, these so-called peace-lovers feel I mean the Pak government feel proud of them who imparted Jihadism, brain-washed, provided training, logistics and massive funds. They call themselves clerics, charity workers and pro-poor and they call themselves Jihadists. And they are searching for thousands of Jihadists to spread the message of launching jihads against their proclaimed enemies their prime enemy being India. Ajmal Kasab is one among thousands in their army here I mean Laskar-e-Taiba and its chief Hafeez Saeed. A hammer to hit a fly is something absurd and immaterial. And hence the primary responsibility of all nations as each of them is a prey to the whims and fancies of the hard-core terrorists. Be it in Russia, be it in China, be it in the U.S.A, be it in U.K, be it in Indonesia, Bangladesh wherever peace-loving citizens love to lead a peaceful life, the trigger-happy monsters are on the prowl to upset the harmony and rhythm of human co-existence irrespective of ethnicity, caste, creed and religion.
Right from the day on which Justice Tahilyani announced the date of verdict, media world was agog with talks, discussions, calculations even predictions relating to the fate in store for Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, Fahim Ansari, and Sababuddeen the latter two are Indian citizens apprehended citing suspected collusion in the tragedy of 26/11.
To make a mountain out of a mole-hill is every one’s game and here also exaggerations abound. Some national newspapers even went to the extent of writing about the curiosity with which the world as a whole watching with fingers crossed about the fate, hanging over Ajmal Kasab and his alleged accomplices.
And the dates on which the verdicts were pronounced I recalled the proverbial saying “a mole-hill made out of a mountain”. To many citizens, though they are not blessed with divine powers verdicts were almost on the expected lines. Fahim Ansari and Sababudeen acquitted by the judge saying the prosecution could not establish their alleged complicity in the 26/11 carnage. Then came justice Tahilyani sealing the fate of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, aged 22 who sprayed bullets indiscriminatingly killing, how many no one knows for sure, starting from Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus), Madam Cama hospital - patients and employees included -, and the visitors of Leopold Restaurant frequented by foreign tourists. All facts presented before the court by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam beyond any doubt - a commendable job, by the man from Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
True. What the 22 year old ruthless assassin deserves maximum punishment and that was why celebrations by the citizens of Mumbai, relatives of some victims were seen before TV cameras weeping, even cursing the assassins and unable to control their emotions with tears running down their cheeks we heard them saying in broken words, the verdict though gives them momentary solace the memories of their beloved ones were still lingering in their minds and they appeared to be gloomy as before.
Mohamed Ajmal Kasab though convicted and sentenced to death will have to be confined to the death cell for a long period before being led to the gallows. If such a thing is about to happen he is said to be the 30th man who has been sentenced with capital punishment awaiting the fateful day.
In India, many legal formalities have to be crossed, as there is protracted legal formalities ahead for him to be led to the gallows and added to this is some “extraneous” matters. Celebrations on the spur of the moment immediately after the judge pronouncing the verdict by our citizens should have to be counted as emotional responses.
In the meanwhile world wide debates are going on the justifiability and logic behind the adherence to capital punishment by certain countries at a time more and more countries are moving away from the path of awarding capital punishment as they feel it somewhat uncivilized and inhuman in contemporary times. A decision to declare a moratorium on awarding capital punishment till 2015 is on the anvil. I think it would be better if ones who deserve maximum punishment are to be sentenced to life imprisonment means to the very end of one’s life in between provide him/her with opportunities to repent, to reform and whatever possible is needed to transform him or her.
S.M.Krishna, our Foreign Minister, P.Chidambaram, Home Minister and Veerappa Moily, Law minister - their reported responses - that “the fateful verdict is a strong message to Pakistan” about which no comments, please.
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