Mohd Afzal Guru is the terrorist involved in the Parliament attack in Dec’2000, had his death sentence fixed on Oct’20 and now postponed. His death sentence was upheld in lower and High Courts and twice by the Supreme Court, though three of the co-conspirators, who were tried along with him, have escaped the noose. The political leaders from J&K and human rights activists are strongly lobbying against the sentence, though Afzal himself has not applied for clemency. The current situation is that it is highly unlikely Afzal will end up as a martyr, though he may wish to be one.
Anyone would want a life to be spared, but blackmail by political leaders like Farooq Abdullah only hardens the stand against Afzal. That “The nation will go up in flames” –“Face the Consequences” - “The Supreme Court judges will need special protection, as the judge who gave Maqbool Bhat (another terrorist), death sentence himself was assassinated” – “There will be communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims”-“I do not want blood in my hands” etc.
People are reminded of the “Direct Action” by Jinnah.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

This is a very controversial issue. Many of the CD's who have been away from India for long time do not know much about this issue and hence the impact of this decision is going to have on India in the near future.

If the President gives the pardon, it will open up a pandoras box and people will start filing for any and every death sentence. May be some one will go back and ask for a pardon for Nathuram Godse.

The Government of India has been hijacked on this issue. Let us see how the President and also the GOI wriggle out of this wrangle. Luckily for them the recent judgement by the Supreme Court on the Andhra Pradesh MLA ruling would send a warning to the the President and also the GOI.

The real funny element on this issue is the interview this guy gave to NDTV and where in he accepted the guilt and then goes and does a U - Turn.

The issue is complicated because if a genuine pleading is done for the pardon versus what is been done as a threat to the unity of India, peace process in Kashmir and related threats.

I have to support LK Advani on this issue but then I put my foot into the mouth as they were guys who let the Kandahar hijackers go scott free for the release of the passengers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Speech by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times....

"When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our
vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, 'think of the
starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell my
children: 'Finish your maths homework. Think of the children in India
who would make you starve, if you don't.'"

The terrorist himself has not sought any pardon nor expressed any remorse over the attack and killings.

Why pardon him ?

Politicians especially from kashmir and the leftists are more interested in the pardon than the convict himself.


this is a straightforward issue and no controversies to it.

for people looking it from a communal perspective please note that Middle East countries kill more muslims by punishment per year than say the total # of Indians convicted and hanged in decades .

Why give a communal colour when a convict is punished in India and not elsewhere ?

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Non illigitamus carborundum

Now we are "celebrating" the 10th anniversary of the parliament attack.
The family of the victims (7 security and parliament staff) were in tears, saying that apart from the job for a family member, none of the other assurances given were fulfilled. Mother of one of the victim said that if the government does not want to hang Afzal Guru, at least they hand it over to her, she would do it herself.
People who call death sentence "barbaric", have some how decided that confinement in prison for lifetime is not "barbaric". They may be let off after a few hours counselling.
How is that people like Anna Hazare and his group choose to remain silent. When they don't want existing law to be implemented and punishment to be meted out for open and shut cases like the above, how they are going to root out corruption

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The faster he is executed the faster he meets his 72 virgins.
If they wish to become martrys who are we to stop them, no mercy here.

So the book says....