There is evil in this world and that evil is not absence of good. It is contrary and hostile to good. It takes many forms. It has many faces. Sometimes it mixes with good.
Evil is many times deceptive. It presents itself as good and noble. Evil forces opposed to death penalty are active again. Speakers opposed to death penalty made their way into discussions on hanging of Ajmal Kasab on Left, Right, and Centre and Last Word. There was no need to invite them or ask them about death penalty. On 22/11/2012 Left, Right, and Centre had a discussion on death penalty. It began with one panellist in favour of death penalty and three opponents. Afzal Guru case was mentioned. I switched channels. Later when I reverted I found another panellist who defended death penalty to Afzal Guru.
Opponents give various reasons. One is death penalty is not a deterrent. This is misinformation and disinformation. USA is given as an example where it has not worked. In USA, some states have death penalty, some do not. There is no uniform law. Guns, pistols, revolvers, rifles and other firearms are easily available in USA. So murders are high. Death penalty is a deterrent. Every death penalty prevents three to 18 murders, as per one article in Newsweek.
Another argument is justice system makes too many mistakes. Those who say that are right in the wrong way. Too many murderers are acquitted due to lack of proof or corruption. Many murderers are not caught. Many murders pass off as accidents and suicides. Efforts must be made to see all murderers are caught and convicted.
Some call death penalty medieval and barbaric. They do not say murder is medieval and barbaric. They should have their heads examined.
A judge who is opposed to death penalty should not be a judge in a case involving death penalty. It was wrong for P. N. Bhagwati to be part of a bench in Bachan Singh versus State of Punjab case.
People’s Union for Civil Liberties is a front for Maoists and such groups. Its study against death penalty has no credibility.
The state has a duty to defend its borders and citizens. There is no taint in using violence in defence. The argument against use of state violence means if Pakistan attacks India our soldiers should not kill Pakistani soldiers.
Amnesty International shall stop opposing death penalty. The evil they do by their campaign against death penalty is more than the good they do in other fields.
Something is rotten in many TV channels. Evil lobbies against death penalty are active through them.
Too bad India had K. R. Narayanan, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and Pratibha Patil as presidents. K. R. Narayanan did not want to reject any mercy petition. Kalam rejected one mercy petition and afterwards refused to reject. Pratibha Patil did not want to reject any mercy petition. Ultimately she rejected three mercy petitions which got caught in unnecessary legal wrangling. Pranab Mukherjee rejected mercy petition of Ajmal Kasab. It is said that he has returned the files on mercy petitions to know whether Sushilkumar Shinde has the same views as his predecessor P. Chidambaram. This was unnecessary. It is the view of a government and not an individual. Pranab Mukherjee should have rejected the mercy petitions.
Many persons including Colin Gonsalves, Mahashweta Devi, Nandita Das, Amin Solkar, Abbas Kazmi, Yug Choudhry, Naresh Fernandes, Anusha Rizvi, Aamir Bashir, and Shankar Sen had written to president not to hand Afzal Guru. Too bad Ajmal Kasab did not kill them.
