That the Kasab files have moved forward in a reasonable time frame is clear indication of how much righteous anger he has triggered in India
The case against Ajmal Kasab of Pakistan was open and shut. There was never a modicum of doubt about his complicity in acts of terrorism. Brainwashed into waging a proxy war of terrorism against India, he was one of the 10 men who landed in a dinghy on our shores four years ago to perpetrate one of the worst crimes against humanity.
His pleas for mercy have, rightfully, been turned down and it is technically up to the President now to take the final call, although he is duty-bound by the Constitution not to go against the advice of the state.
Dealing with Kasab is a matter of dealing with enemies of the state and a clear case can be made out against showing any leniency or mercy to such people. Religion and caste or creed have nothing to do with the issue, which is a stand taken consistently in this matter of the State versus Kasab. And yet whether capital punishment is a necessary evil that must be tolerated in modern society is a matter to ponder over.
Kasab’s pleas for mercy could easily have sunk in red tape, as in the cases of 11 others on death row, including those who were part of the conspiracy to kill former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and Afzal Guru, who brazenly attacked Parliament. That the Kasab files have moved forward in a reasonable time frame is clear indication of how much righteous anger he has triggered in this country in acting as he did in a concerted and planned attack on the iconic symbols of Mumbai.
In capturing Kasab alive, India was able to establish the deep-rooted links between Pakistan and state terrorism in its devious patronage of elements like Saeed Hafiz of the Laskhar-e-Tayyaba. Nearly four years have rolled by since the terrorist attack, but there has been little progress in Pakistan accepting its complicity and moving on in diplomatic terms.
To many, Kasab is a symbol of all that is wrong with this world. While no state can afford to be seen as weak in dealing with such threats, the question of handing out capital punishment should be dealt with at a different level. It’s the principle of such punishment to be meted out that is to be debated. Even the strongest states that play a pro-active role in guarding against terrorism are entitled to take a holistic view of the issue of capital punishment. It would be best, in Kasab’s case, to leave it to the wisdom of the state to decide whether or not he hangs.
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