Eventually a series of events last month gave me enough reason to pen down my thoughts(Yes, I am old school).
On 21 Feb 2011 the Bombay High Court upheld the Death Penalty awarded to Ajmal Kasab by a Special Court. Soon after, some leading news channels started running discussions as to whether this case should be re-tried in the Supreme Court and will Kasab be allowed to file a petition of mercy to the President if the death sentence is confirmed.
Frankly to put my feelings into plain, convenient words, I was simply shocked and appalled by the proceedings! It is a shame that our judiciary has been reduced to such ridicule that the citizens of our country had to suffer for 28 long months to be assured that a gun wielding terrorist who was caught on camera massacring innocent people will be metted out proper punishment. Why should we go through the humiliation of such a long wait as the world watches in what was supposed to be an open and shut case? Why should such a low life breed as a celebrity and tax payers money be spent on his comfortable and safe existence?!
I very well understand that these questions have been asked by a lot of people over time, but I intend to raise some far basic and raw questions.
Watching India loose out to England last Sunday(I fail to recognise that match as a tie!) churned my guts. I found myself asking why we Indians fail to strike one fatal blow that could be decisive in determining our outcome? Why do we falter when the occasion demands us to show true grit and some spine? Why do we let our opposition breathe when we must tighten the noose?
Our history is chequered with such incidents that reveals us going weak in the knees under the spotlight. Be it the CWG debacle, Jessica Lal case, Kandhar hijack(IC-814) in Dec 1999 which led to the release of militants(one of who was later arrested for the murder of the journalist Daniel Pearl and the other founded Jaish-e-Mohammad), or the Kargil War which was a serious lapse of judgement and action but touted as our ultimate victory over terror!
Time and time again we will find ourselves face to face with such challenges when we must act quick and with determination without any superfluous pressure weighing us down. We must decide for ourselves whether we are irresolute as a mass or asre misrepresented by weak people in positions of power.
God be with us all!
On 21 Feb 2011 the Bombay High Court upheld the Death Penalty awarded to Ajmal Kasab by a Special Court. Soon after, some leading news channels started running discussions as to whether this case should be re-tried in the Supreme Court and will Kasab be allowed to file a petition of mercy to the President if the death sentence is confirmed.
Frankly to put my feelings into plain, convenient words, I was simply shocked and appalled by the proceedings! It is a shame that our judiciary has been reduced to such ridicule that the citizens of our country had to suffer for 28 long months to be assured that a gun wielding terrorist who was caught on camera massacring innocent people will be metted out proper punishment. Why should we go through the humiliation of such a long wait as the world watches in what was supposed to be an open and shut case? Why should such a low life breed as a celebrity and tax payers money be spent on his comfortable and safe existence?!
I very well understand that these questions have been asked by a lot of people over time, but I intend to raise some far basic and raw questions.
Watching India loose out to England last Sunday(I fail to recognise that match as a tie!) churned my guts. I found myself asking why we Indians fail to strike one fatal blow that could be decisive in determining our outcome? Why do we falter when the occasion demands us to show true grit and some spine? Why do we let our opposition breathe when we must tighten the noose?
Our history is chequered with such incidents that reveals us going weak in the knees under the spotlight. Be it the CWG debacle, Jessica Lal case, Kandhar hijack(IC-814) in Dec 1999 which led to the release of militants(one of who was later arrested for the murder of the journalist Daniel Pearl and the other founded Jaish-e-Mohammad), or the Kargil War which was a serious lapse of judgement and action but touted as our ultimate victory over terror!
Time and time again we will find ourselves face to face with such challenges when we must act quick and with determination without any superfluous pressure weighing us down. We must decide for ourselves whether we are irresolute as a mass or asre misrepresented by weak people in positions of power.
God be with us all!
