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Opinion
Parliament Attack
The Clemency Chaos
by Nagesh Padmanaban
India has been and continues to be a victim of terrorism. It has lost
more than 45,000 lives in Kashmir and elsewhere. Some reports suggest
that closer to 60,000 lives have been lost in the last decade or so. One
would imagine that such huge loss of life and property due to terrorism
would engender alertness and a no-nonsense approach to tackle this
scourge. But I was disappointed at the recent turn of events in India.
The courts have awarded death sentence to a terrorist who attacked
Parliament. While this verdict has been widely welcomed, the nation was
witness to the ignominy of the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
seeking clemency for the terrorist. Senior politicians in the valley too
wanted the terrorist to be pardoned. They were apparently concerned
about “street protest against the death sentence”. A band of so called
intellectuals have joined the chorus seeking clemency. The UPA
government for its part maintained a studied silence that has only
befuddled Indians.
India’s fight against terrorism is a long and lonely fight , often
fraught with failures largely due to the conspicuous absence of a
political will. Jehadi terror elements now have widespread support and
sanctuary in Nepal and Bangladesh. Pakistan has established deep
networks of sleeper cells throughout the country and even in
administrations at state and central governments. A former intelligence
officer has also written about senior politicians on ISI’s payroll. In
other words, India has been watching and twiddling its thumbs while an
elaborate network to destabilize the country has been built. This has
now reached a new high and poses a grave threat to the very existence of
India.
It must be said that the police and intelligence agencies have performed
their duties diligently in spite of meager resources. Often they have to
contend with the enemy within – political interference from the likes of
Gulam Nabi Azad. The 7/11 Mumbai blast investigations is a case in
point. Sheer hard work by the ATS and related agencies has unraveled the
terror network in India. It is irresponsible for the government or a
chief minister, given the gravity of terror threats to India, to play
politics with the award of death sentence to a terrorist. Seeking
clemency will negate the work of the judiciary and the police. Above
all, it will demoralize the people, who in the final analysis face the
ghastly consequences of terror.
But what are these people protesting against? Is it that the judicial
process was unfair? Or was it inept police investigations? Or is it that
the killing of innocents is not a crime? Or is it that these
perpetrators are not “terrorists” but “misguided youngsters” as our
pseudo secular politicians would have us believe? They are in effect
protesting against a unified India that is trying to fight the scourge
of terrorism. Where were these voices when more than 180 people were
killed in the train blasts in Mumbai in July? Where was Gulam, Nabi Azad
when Varanasi, Bangalore and other places were bombed? Where were these
voices when Kamlesh Kumari and other brave police officers lost their
lives on 13th December 2001 when Parliament was attacked? Five years
since, Kamlesh Kumari’s husband and two children have not received the
four lakh rupees promised by Delhi Government? What did Gulam Nabi Azad
do in Delhi to help Kamlesh Kumari’s family? I am not sure if Gulam Nabi
Azad himself was inside Parliament building when these brave police
officers laid down their lives. As George Bush would like to ask, Gulam
Nabi Azad needs to tell us if he is with us or with the enemy.
Also some well knew India-baiters have taken to the streets demanding
clemency. I am talking about Arundhati Roy. Remember she was protesting
when India tested its nuclear weapons in 1998? Also, she was against the
Narmada dam. She was held for contempt of the Supreme Court of India.
This person has no respect or regard for India or its laws and its
judiciary. Not to forget our anti-national Left parties who have the
inglorious reputation of welcoming the Chinese invasion in 1962! These
malcontents have one objective – undo India and its pluralistic
civilization. And the death sentence to a terrorist is yet another
opportunity for them to whine.
As a Chief Minister, Gulam Nabi Azad has publicly sworn to protect the
constitution of India. By joining hands with other malcontents, he has
disgraced a high political office. After all, like Manmohan Singh, Gulam
too was nominated for the post by Sonia Gandhi. He too holds office at
the pleasure of Sonia, not the people of Kashmir or the people of India.
Given his public cry for clemency for a terrorist who waged war against
India, we may not know if he is with us or with the enemy. Nor do I
care. But I do know that the people of India are not with Gulam Nabi
Azad and they want the terrorist hanged. Nor will I be surprised if
these India-baiters call for clemency again for those who await the
death sentence in the Bombay blasts of 1993. Again, India will not be
with them.
Jai Hind.
October 8,
2006
(The author is a US based Banker and the views expressed are his own and
not of the organization he works for)
Top
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Opinion
The Week of October 8, 2006
Goodbye America? N-deal Setback may be Tip of
Iceberg! by Rajinder Puri
India's Leadership Crisis : Impact on Defense and
Politics by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Presidential System of Government for India
by Dr. Subhash Kapila
Always Yes to Planned Murder by Terrorists by
V. Sundaram
Parliament Attack: The Clemency Chaos by
Nagesh Padmanaban
Indo-Pak relations: It’s time to end the relations
by Dr. Deepak Pawar
Dengue Et Al: A Billion Terrorists Strike
by Col. Rahul K. Bhonsle
SPAC: Special Purpose Acquisition Company by
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