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Manu Joseph became a journalist because he didn’t have to crack any objective-type entrance exam to be one. His first novel, Serious Men, is the winner of The Hindu Best Fiction Award. It is one of Huffington Post’s 10 Best Books of 2010, and was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2010. He is the editor of Open. EMAIL AUTHOR |
At the end of it all, the truth is that a boy who was on a suicide mission will now be punished by death. He hoped to be killed by bullets, but the justice apparently is in hanging him by a rope. His conviction, according to Home Minister P Chidambaram, “is a message to Pakistan”, and the message is that if you want to die, we will kill you.
That is what it is all about. After several months in court, and enormous paperwork that the public prosecutor summarised in a cheaply spiral-bound dossier titled ‘Yes, You’re Guilty’, the case of Ajmal Kasab has ended the way it was expected to end. My colleague Haima Deshpande had reported in Open that India does not have a single active hangman anymore and that the Government’s offer of Rs 150 is not luring new aspirants. But the Government will find a way. Because apparently ‘we’, which is not a pronoun but a political absurdity, want him dead.
If the last 18 months are any indication, in the time that now follows, no Indian of any reasonable stature will publicly condemn the death sentence of Kasab. The national mood is belligerently clear. So the Beautiful People, who share a paranormal uniformity of thoughts concerning global warming, the statehood of Tibetans, the welfare of Oliver Ridley turtles, the evil of capitalism and even the injustice of capital punishment, will now keep their mouths shut. That is cowardly.
In almost all public domains, like TV studios, Twitter, blogs, columns and Facebook, where liberal idealists usually go to lament, there is a nervous silence regarding Kasab. It is as if liberals (I can’t find a better word) themselves are unsure about their stand. But largely, their silence is due to the fact that defending Kasab’s right to live will invite the wrath of their own friends and colleagues, and make them targets of crude abuses of online retards.
Writers like Arundhati Roy have been very courageous in questioning the justice process that resulted in the death sentence awarded to Afzal Guru, accused in the attack on Parliament. The reaction of the new net-enabled average Indian was, and still is, a venomous outrage. Anyone who criticises the barbarism of Kasab’s death sentence will be far more unpopular. Web 2.0 has revealed the world as a place festering with an inordinately high number of dim, hateful people whose views, in the older days, would not have got past the doormats of a newspaper office, but are now broadcast for all to see. The Beautiful People know the consequences of condemning Kasab’s death sentence. So they lie low. But if they love humanity as much as they claim, if they really believe in their ideals, they must make their stand even in the face of extreme hostility. Cowardice is not an option for the good. Because goodness is a form of genius and it is best expressed not through the easy festivity of groupism, but by acts of personal courage.
The silence of the liberal population in the Kasab issue will further expose the difference between the brave ringleaders of various movements like Roy and Medha Patkar, and their fashionable followers in Fabindia kurtas who espouse beautiful sentiments only when there is not much risk involved.
At first glance, it appears that the campaign against capital punishment is worst served by Kasab—a person of subhuman intelligence and values who slaughtered unarmed people in a railway station. But the truth is that Kasab best exposes the absurdity of capital punishment in the modern world, where the most dangerous criminals are those who are willing to die while committing their crimes. If the only way a nation can punish a terrorist is by granting him his wish, then there is something wrong.
Like many people, I have a confused view of capital punishment, chiefly because if I were a victim of Kasab, I do not think I would have the moral strength to let him live, even in a miserable Indian jail. As Nicole Kidman says in the film The Interpreter, “Vengeance is a lazy form of grief”, and I think I too would seek such a lazy form of grief.
But people who have a greater moral clarity should make their voices heard even in the face of all the jeering and abuses.
In their pursuit of humanness, they should not be afraid of humanity.
OLDER COMMENTS FIRST
17 COMMENTS
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Oh yes, the dossier looked funny. A better cover headline like "Union of India vs Kasab" would have served better. As for rights activists keeping mum - it's just like cricket, if a bowler over appeals, he has lesser chance of getting an appeal in his favour than a bowler who appeals less. If the rights activits take up each and every issue, no one will give a damn.
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I am no advocate of capital punishment and would not talk of it lightly. But in this case the debate is that of rights of the victims and the citizens of the targeted State vs the rights of the terrorist. I think we as a society have been very transparent in conducting a fair trail and if he has been handed down the death sentence then it was surely done after lot of deliberation. You say Kasav is of 'subhuman intelligence'-are u kidding me? He was misguided yes certainly, but not of subhuman intelligence. He chose the path and to xpect that he would reform or feel remorse is nothing but hope from our end. Yes perhaps he should have been handed down the life sentence, but then how well equipped are we to prevent a repeat of the Kandahar episode? And will u and the others who speak only of the rights of the terrorist-who wasn't coaxed into it in the first place-be willing to give u r lives up if a similar situation arises? Won't u want the State to protect u r rights and life? And if the State then decides to hang the hijacker/terrorist/culprit would u feel sympathy or speak for his rights? I have lost two friends in terror attacks in Hyderabad and i know the pain that a family goes through when they lose their sons or daughters. So let's give the fight for rights of cold-blooded murders a rest.
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It is really ridiculous to praise the insensitive personality like Arundhati Roy and Medha Patkar who are praising a slow death of people living in remote areas of red zone by maoists. Specially, as a common citizen I have lost my faith in pseudo-intellectuals who support a fight against the state raised by money from extortion, theft and killing common man.
We can never win justice and welfare for common man by raising arms against state. It needs a consistent and ground level approach to eradicate corruption from our society.
As far as there is the question of hanging Kasab, it should also be highlighted that the court has acquitted two other suspects due to lack of evidence. If you have a hobby to smell something fishy in every event then you need some treatment. Hanging is allowed by the law of land, any question regarding it is utter nonsense.
I hope, you will love my freedom of speech and you will post my comment on your portal.
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I think it is important to ask how killing Kasab is going to serve efforts to counter terrorism and whether the message it intends to send has any lasting impact..like the article points out, "if the only way a nation can punish a terrorist is by granting him his wish, then there is something wrong." Death is absolutely no 'punishment' to a suicidal man.
Legally, the principle of 'punishment' has reformative intentions by creating examples/ precedents. His execution is a cuss-word that makes no difference to violent, psycho-pathologically delusional individuals that 'terrorists' are and their ideologically immune sponsors. Kasab needs 'punishment' in the way of intense psychiatric detoxification. A legal system that sees 'justice' only as some kind of equitable transaction - life for life/ves - is missing the point completely.
Keeping men like Kasab alive has an important political function. Can men like Kasab be made to speak against 'jihad'? Can they be made to speak in favour of better, healthier career choices? Of course, some people might prefer to see him hanging than be turned into a counter-terrorist. And that is understandable too, however, it won't dent the bloody cause.
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It's not about cowardice, it's what kasab deserves. Terrorists are not humans but a inhumans. When kasab was killing innocent people on 26/11 were human rights department went and stopped him, and taught him peace and humanity? Then why should he be defended now? He is guilty of killing 165 people. He deserves nothing less than death.
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The death puncihment needs to be abolished entirely. The whole equation of because someone kills, we have the right to kill them, doesnt make any more sense than - what the accused has done. Kasab is a glaring example at the weak perception of our society, that still fails to go to the root cause of a problem, and deals with the symptoms of the disease instead. He is just a dim witted poor example of a socitey that is also responsible for his crime. No one person is ever responsible for a certain situation, we all live in a continuous chain of events. If this act of hanging a man is going to be seen as a counter terrorism initiatve, then a I think we are a very long way away from a sensitive evolution of society. Yes, why not follow the ways of the barbaric and de-evolutionize our society. Child-labour, surmounting toxic waste, consumerism, are anyway slowly eating away at the soul of a nation. Why blame just Kasab? What about the rest of them- the MNC's, the fanatical religious and self declared political parties that beat up women, I mean the list is endless. I love my county, but unfortunately there exists a wide chasm between what is and what ought to be. We seem to be only the hollow echoes of what humanity was suppossed to be.
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Capital punishment debate boils down to this question:
Do YOU sanction the extinguishing of a life YOU did not give?
If so, on what authority are you PLAYING GOD?
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This rhetorical query raised here is indicative of both sheer ignorance and
utter malice.
It was raised also when Ravindra Pal, alias Dara Singh, had been awarded
capital punishment, for the gruesome killings of Graham Staines and his two
pre-teen sons, by the trial court, albeit from the other end of the
spectrum.
(It is of course quite another matter that unless one is against capital
punishment on principle, those who'd shed tears for the despicable Dara
Singh will cry hoarse for the scalp of Qasab and vice versa. Such hypocrisy
is just routine for them.)
The fact is whether Dhananjay Chatterrjee or Afzal Guru or whoever, the
issue of public appeal in an individual case arose only after scope for all
legal remedies having been exhausted.
Having said that it is undeniable that Mohammad Amir Ajmal Qasab is a
remorseless mass murderer, a killing machine. Not only that, his is an open
and shut case.
At the same time, capital punishment for one on a suicide mission hardly
makes any sense. That's, in a way, only fulfilment of the failed mission.
And hardly any deterrent for future mass murders on suicide mission.
And voices to that effect have already been raised, contrary to the
malicious suggestion, on a restricted scale.
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The Humanist stand on Kasab's issue (connected ofcourse to terrorism) is already part of discussions on Facebook as follows :
"Hang Kasab" - these are most common words that one hears around these days.
He had killed so many, waged war against India and he must be hanged as per law - that is the logic, and a logic with plenty of passion that most people are giving.
Hang Kasab, as if all the problems if the country, of the whole continent depend on this alone.
Yes, Hang Kasab, because there is a law that says so. hang Kasab, because the law must take its logic path.
They say that the law mist be same/equal for all and that Kasab should be hanged without any delay.
yes, we agree that the law must be equal for all.
The Law must work and must work very fast, because "Justice delayed is Justice denied".
The law must be same for all, irrespective of their position with money, power and anything else.
The law muse be same for :
People who allowed the GM crops to be raised in the country illegally;
People who did nothing to prevent the farmers dying or killing themselves;
People who allowed the IPL to continue in illegal ways for 3 years;
People who allowed Bhopal-tragedy to happen to those who prevented the compensation to happen;
People who allowed the tribals to reach a point where the violent-Naxals have taken over their lands and now the fight is between violent Naxals and the Violent-State, while the poor people are getting killed and losing their livelihood;
People who have been causing caste based discrimination;
People who have been causing religion based discrimination;
People whose policies have increased the divide between rich and poor instead of the stated aim of decreasing it;
People who have never fulfilled their election-promises;
People who has taken away poor farmer's land and made billions while the farmer lost his livelihood and finally the life itself;
People who do not receive their pensions, gratuity for years after retiring from Government jobs on flimsy grounds;
people who keep lakhs of cases pending in courts, while the litigants suffer all the time;
Once you have taken care of the above, i will provide you a further list and I will not mind that the law should take its stated/establish course in every matter that comes before it.
yes, the law must take its logical course.
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Kasab is not a problem, not at all, not for India.
Kasab is a problem for himself in the sense that he lost his meaning of life (or maybe never gained one) and got affected by violence and became a tool of terrorism and went ahead to kill people - to kill his own fellow human beings. He not only killed others, but also killed himself. What is sadder than his situation, where, he cannot decide for his own life or death ?
Kasab is a problem for his own family, that cannot live a life of dignity.
Kasab is a problem for his religion, that calls itself a religion of peace and, like many other, Kasab has given it a bad name.
Kasab is a problem for his country, that could not do this violent act like the smart American Government.
It is the American Government that is the smartest of all. It is smart that it sells you arms, it sells you its junk food, junk culture, junk fashion, junk everything and charges you 10 times the cost for all the rotten things.
It is smart that it divides you and then makes you fight your own family, your own brother and sister and makes you kill each other by the weapons bought from the American Government.
It is smart that it makes you pay for their luxuries and still makes you a slave of their wishes.
When will we learn to be smart ? Smart like the Americans ? No. Smart as the human being should be. Smart enough to understand that, we, as human beings have our own intentionality and we have the power to exercise that intentionality for the god of ourselves, for our people and for the whole world and that we need not be the slaves of everything American (be it fashion, money, culture, language, relationships, habits etc.). Our culture, our history is the richest and we need to exercise it to save the whole world, including the smart (killer) American system.
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Kasab is a small tool in the hands of those conducting terrorism for their motives which are beyond Kasab.
The masters in this matter have hundreds of kasabs and they can produce many kasabs, thanks to the poverty and illlitracy that is all around us.
Kasab was sent to india to kill and get killed. While his team-mates got killed, he, somehow was captured alive.
We need to udnerstand that he came to kill and get killed and hence he would never be bothered about his death.
Yes, he could be afraid of his being alive.
Remember the news that his family was to get Rupees one and half lakh on his death.
Now, the law that ahs been established says that kasab should be hanged. While the process of abolishing death-penalty should be going on as per UN agreement, India is atill among thsoe countries where it has not been established.
Before going further, let there be no doubt that we are neither in favour of terrorism, nor are we justifying what Kasab and his team conducted by their masters) did. That was, is and remains anti-human and be not just condemned but also prevented for good in all future to come.
Possibility No. 1 : Having given death punishment, what happens when he is hanged and henced killed ? What problems do we get solved ? What issues do we get resolved ? Which terrorism gets an answer ? Terrorists come to get killed and hence death does not matter to them. They are anti-life. It is possible that life may matter to them. Your life, my life and their own life.
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Where is Manu Joseph? No new articles from him!
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Suggestion to OPEN. Please limit the words in this space. Gandotra's rant (above) is exhausting. Having said that, he is correct that vengeance is a poor mode of justice, and capital punishment's touted benefits (deterrence etc) are exaggerated.
Have no doubt that a hundred years from now, we will think of hanging or any such death penalty as something from a barbaric past, just as we now think of the old practice of traitors (those who speak against the king) being publicly "drawn" apart by ropes tightly tied to hands and legs, "quartered" into four pieces by an axeman, and then set on fire in front of cheering jousting howling crowds which are trying hard to show their loyalty to the regime.
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Dude, I'm really guessing you're sitting outside India and just talking about all of this. You know what happened to Kasab's lawyer don't you? Her house got stoned. What about SRK and Sachin having to apologize for making remarks that didn't even require an apology? What about Salman Khan, recently? And they're celebrities. You think people here feel safe? You're wrong, my friend. There's no toleration in this country. People aren't willing to disapprove of something and accept its existence. The comments in your review of Endhiran, just look at them. Fans are willing to go to the extent of killing you. With all this around, I doubt anyone would be willing to take a stand. Human beings aren't altruists. They pretend to be when things are going good, but when the chips are down, it's every man for himself. When given the choice between defending 'humanity' or his life, it's his life.
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witty , dripping with humour and sarcasm , as usual . I love your articles ...
great work ...!!!
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Brilliant! Have discovered your writings recently and I must say you are one of the very few journalists in this country who are worth reading!
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Brilliant!
You like most of the retarded journalists of India need killing.
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Dear Manu,
Where were you when Swapan tweeted this,
insanelyinane sid at swapan55 quick question:u think dara singh shuld've been hanged?inappropriate possibly inflammatory observations by the SC on conversions?
swapan55 Swapan Dasgupta at insanelyinane His guilt has been upheld by SC. Personally I don't favour capital punishment for anyone, incl A Guru
The problem with you "liberals" is you have forgotten what it means to be learned and wise. It's more than a matter of spouting fashionable nonsense. It's a matter of conviction.
Did you know the hated Dewan of Travancore, that despicable Pattar, abolished capital punishment in Travancore State in 1940 (along the way introducing universal adult franchise, free school lunches, and appointing India's first female justice of the courts.
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Hahaahaha! Couldn't help but laugh and approve at your great and consistent Unifying theory of the global causes endorsed by the beautiful men in fabindia..I know its absolutely true because I am one of them ;)
BTW do India still hang these buggers? What about liberalisation, IT, globalisation blah blah....Why can't we come up with some execution methods resembling 21st century?
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