I was recently reading the news item about Ms. Priyanka Gandhi going to the vellore prison and meeting the savage assassins of her father and national leader Rajiv Gandhi. Nalini has since sought the assistance of the Gandhi family to get her death sentence revoked and reduced to a life sentence. Despite all the xenophobic hatred from my fellow country men towards Sonia, I have always found her to be quite intelligent (when compared to the average Indian politician). I understand that the Gandhi family have never wanted death penalty for the assassins and have been doing their bit in this regard. But for fuc*s sake Rajiv Gandhi is not the only person who was killed in the episode. I fully understand it is preposterous to even indulge in a debate as to who has had a bigger loss in such a tragedy but surely there should be some perspective. (I have always found it funny that every time an important personality is killed it’s called a assassination- How important should a person before such an act becomes a assassination rather than a murder?)
This takes us to the bigger question, should capital punishments be abolished? I am quite sure that there are sufficient organizations who champion this cause and I thought I might add my 2 cents to this argument (and more importantly get the views of people). A rouge elephant running amok and causing havoc has to be killed without trial. As adorable as the elephant (normally) might be we have to kill it in an instant for it is a danger/threat to the society at large. It is a difficult pill to chew but it has to be done if you are to cure the illness.
Death is probably the only thing that instills a fear of god amongst the die hard criminals who do not think twice before raping a 12 year old or cause havoc in a market place by placing a bomb and taking the life of innocent civilians. No amount of justification justifies the killing of million innocent civilians in the name of religion or any thing for that matter. Tolerance is an over rated trait and it has only emboldened these vermin’s to commit more such sins or take others for granted. Capital punishment will by no means stop the ever increasing crime rate but it will act as a deterrent. The kith and kin of these barbaric bastar*s might try to drive some sense into them and it might stop the odd crime. I have always very strongly believed that there is always one person for each of us in this world whose word we will take however head strong and adamant each one of us are. It is the hope that moves us all forward and what is life without the eternal hope that someday everything will fall in place and there will no be no misery in god’s beautiful world.
“Reform the criminal: be kind to him. But the criminal who can be reformed is not the problem. If you can reform him (or her) reform him; that is all. Do not make him a martyr. The real problem is the criminal you cannot reform: the human mad dog or cobra. The answer is, kill him kindly and apologetically, if possible without consciousness on his part. Let him go comfortably to bed expecting to wake up in the morning as usual, and not wake up. His general consciousness that this may happen to him should be shared by every citizen as part of his moral civic responsibility.”
-G B Shaw
I couldn’t agree with Shaw more. Kill the criminal but kill him using a lethal injection or slow poison, please do not hang the man till his eye balls pop out or his tongue falls on the ground and for the love of god please do not show it on national television. Further, please use the petition judiciously and not use it to reprieve the likes of terrorists who attack the parliament or father’s who have their daughter’s in captive for 24 years and rape them every night. I have always had a lot of time for Mr Kamal Hassan, the man makes intelligent movies but I hated the movie Virumandi (I loved the screenplay by the way) for the uninitiated the movie justifies abolishment of capital punishments using the example of a man who commits 27 murders but blames the society for the same. Sir, what do you want us to do when we capture Bin laden?? Imprison him for 13 years or fine him a million dollars- surely not!
We will weed out atleast a hundred human nuisances (literally and other wise) if capital punishments are not abolished and it will instill a fear which seems even more necessary given that there are a lot of predators with whom we share god’s green earth
Cheers
S
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8 comments:
Capital punishments should be there as it will create fear people who create such barbaric acts though it wont impact a person like Bin laden..
According to me this has to used more frequently considering what stories we are hearing lately (father having 7 kids with his own daughter and increasing number of stories about Polygamy in US).
Btw I loved Virumandi not because of capital punishment but for its excellent Screenplay…
Cheers
Capital punishment is a legal way of committing a murder except that the party to crime is the government itself. Having said that is it fair enough, to have one of those notorious terrorist to be locked up in a little cell, only for someone nut case to plan up an operation to hi jack one of our planes from the most unsecured of airports to let him lead his Jihad again!
Well its one of those arguments, I am quite not sure as to which side I should be standing. But no way in the world would I be calling a middle aged woman from Italy, who could hardly speak any of our local languages as a smarter politician. After all running a country is not a family business- MADHU
Fascinating to see 2 posts in 2 days, each diametrically opposite to each other in nature :) Must say that it was the first time I saw the side that u showed in your Mothers day post!!!
I am all for capital punishment as some criminals deserve it. There are cases when sympathy and compassion come in and suggest that capital punishment is harsh, but then it is 'punishment' and has to be meted out.
I have my own thoughts on it...some a little too gross to be spoken but I agree with the overall idea behind the post.
Sometimes I feel that an "eye for an eye" is probably the best way to deal with a few perpetrators...particularly the child molesters and the like! Not sure if it'll qualify as capital punishment, but that should pretty much do the job in my opinion.
on a completely different note, why would you set your page to reflect west coast time? just noticed it...
This is the first time I am commenting on your blog loose! :) Anyways, glad I am doing it atleast now! Since you have been discovering a lot of "passions" offlate, I hope you add watching "good" (read "not mindless") movies to that list someday soon! (Dont say you would never...I know you would..just dont know when..just like how I knew you would start enjoying "F.R.I.E.N.D.S" if and when you start watching it!!!). Coming to the point watch "The life of David Gale". It hits you hard and makes you truly understand the several issues that capital punishment entails..that you have completely missed in your post. Capital punishment is barbaric, and belongs to the times when men belonged to the caves.. not in a civilised world. Well, a lot of men are'nt completely civilised :( but that does not mean that a democracy can stoop down to that level.
Kamesh, Given that it involves the life of a person I would guess judiciary would use it more cautiously.
Madhu,As regards sonia not being a good politician I think it is a little to harsh to judge her only based on the languages that she knows and if i am not mistaken I think she can manage to speak Hindi...Anyways thanks for the comment.
Pramod,To be honest I was rather surprised abt the other post but I guess its good to get in touch with your feminine side once in a while
Anonymous, I didnt even realise that and will look into it...Thanks
Tubs, How else would you want to punish the hardcore criminals who are a threat to the society? The point is we are not enjoying the fact that people are being liquidated but rather want to portect the society. I will try to get my hands on the life of david gale. I am rather curios. Anyway thanks for finding the time and enthu to leave a comment
Cheers
S
To break the silence, Is Capital Punishment an act of violence or an act that punishes the wrong doers from furtherance of violence in the society? If the law of land gives a little leeway, the society will be dictated / ruled by criminals. A classic example will be the millennium episode in Kandahar airport where passengers were held hostage for the release of a terrorist brought in shame to a country whose military intelligence / power is appreciated in very many instances (Kargil). To add to this shame, the Defence minister officially accompanied the terrorist to the Taliban ruled Afghanistan to resolve the hostage crisis. Political parties claim this release as a success for their negotiation skill whereas it was on account of undue pressure by the civilians in the country demanding the exchanging the terrorist for the passengers held in hostage. Had this Capital punishment been enforced as soon as the criminal is charged and proved for the guilt, then to a large extent the act of terrorism will be curtailed as every human being will fear for death. Capital Punishment is very much needed.
To conclude I never spend time in the internet unlike my friends. Thanks for the invite and numerous reminders by Sharath about these blogs. Believe me I would have missed ‘em all and am sure from now on you all will be seeing me quite often in these sections.
GS
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