Today I read an article in the Hindu. It was by a carnatic singer from Chennai. He expressed his views about the death sentence given to the lone captured terrorist from the Mumbai attacks, Ajmal Kasab. This is one of the most discussed and debated topics in India for quite some time now. But after reading it, I realized that I had my own views to share about the death sentence and I could find no better medium.
The people who speak for the judgment mostly say that the grievances of the families who lost their loved ones should be answered. Another one is that we should fight fire with fire and hence death sentence is the only way. I don't think the second reason is correct but the first one is acceptable. Losing your loved ones is something very sad and that needs to be answered. It might give some relief for these people by putting Kasab to death but we should also have in mind that it will not bring back the lost ones. What is gone is gone forever. And also remember that though he might be bad his family would not have been. Putting Kasab to death makes them lose their loved one. We have already lost ours, to feel better we are making others lose theirs. Sounds sadistic to me.
Now to the other side. The people who speak against the judgment say things like killing does not differentiate him from us, who gave us the right to kill, keeping him alive in life sentence breaks him down and though he might not turn good he will at least realize his mistakes, or the famous one – we are a non-violent country. For all these, I have one answer. In the battlefield, if a soldier kills the soldier of the opposite camp we say it is right. This situation we are in is also war, against terrorism. Unlike the traditional war, here the opposite camp army kills our country peasants and not the military. Still we do what we have to do in war. The judge could have ordered a life sentence or torture but he chose death sentence instead. You might ask that the prisoners of war are tried and then sentenced. Before the trial or the judgment has never been fair for the war prisoners. We did him a favor by death sentence and not any form of torture.
I have just shared my views on the debate so far. If Kasab is kept alive, in future some terrorist attack may happen for saving him like in the plane hijacking of the past. Pretty much what the judge had said. I just want to add one more point to that. It is not right to put him to torture. His life is tormented enough already with him doing nothing to get into it. Let us give him a quick exit like in war and pray to Him that at least in the next birth he be born in a better place.
Open for comments.
