<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Oct 4 2006, 11:47 PM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Oct 4 2006, 11:47 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->That is a shame on our country's media. Almost all "NATIONAL" English news papers of India - HT, TOI, IE, 'Hindu' have printed the photograph of wife, son and mother of Afzal Guru on the front page. In this context, NONE have bothered to print the photos of the Martyrs killed fighting these terrorists and dying in line of their duty, or their families.
SHAME ON MEDIA! Open Opinion tampering.
HT even printed an article by nephew of Bhagat Singh and Anand Patwardhan, demanding president for clemency of this guy, saying even if his crime is proved, death penlty is 'revenge and not justice'.
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It is a shame that the government is even thinking of stalling the pig's penalty and pondering on pleasing his ilk. If such is the government's attitude I feel really sorry that Afzal did not succeed in his mission. Perhaps he is given a second chance to finish his unfinished business.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> If such is the government's attitude I feel really sorry that Afzal did not succeed in his mission. Perhaps he is given a second chance to finish his unfinished business.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>BJP to approach Kalam to oppose Afzal's clemency</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley dubbed moves to save Afzal from the gallows as acts of "misplaced sympathy" and alleged Congress "had no strategy in place to tackle terrorism".
Talking to reporters after a meeting of the party's core group on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said BJP would seek an appointment with Kalam to submit a memorandum against Afzal who "plotted to eliminate the country's political establishment".
Jaitley, whose party aims at reviving its national security plank ahead of assembly polls in four Hindi heartland states, said the moves for mercy for Afzal would give "fillip" to terrorism.
He accused Congress of being unable to deal with terrorism which he alleged has escalated especially in Jammu and Kashmir
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<span style='color:red'>Kalam to hear Afzal family </span>
NEW DELHI : President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will grant a personal hearing to the family of Mohammad Afzal who is facing execution in the December 13, 2001 Parliament House attack case.
The meeting is scheduled for 1.45 p.m. on Thursday, Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said. Mohammad Afzal's wife Tabassum, who submitted a mercy petition on Tuesday, also made a request for a personal hearing by the President.
Apart from her, Afzal's mother Ayesha Begum, his seven-year-old son Ghalib, and lawyers Nandita Haksar and N.D. Panchauli would meet Mr. Kalam.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Prez refers clemency petition to MHA </b>
Pioneer.com
Pramod Kumar Singh | New Delhi
<b>With the President Secretariat referring Parliament attack case convict Mohammad Afzal Guru's clemency petition to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Justice Department of the MHA has begun consultations with the Delhi Government over the mercy plea.</b>
As per the established law, the State Government under whose territory the crime has taken place, is to be consulted for deciding the clemency petition.
The MHA has conveyed it to Tihar Jail administration that Jaish-e-Mohammad militant Afzal's hanging on October 20 cannot take place until a decision on clemency petition is taken.
Though there was no stipulated time frame for deciding on the petition, sources in the MHA said that Afzal's mercy petition filed by his wife Tabassum will be processed fast by keeping the sensitivity of the matter into mind. <b>It could be completed in two to three weeks or so</b>, sources said.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Mohd. Afzal Guru, the terrorist played a leading role in the joint attack by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM) of Pakistan on the Indian Parliament on 13 December, 2001. The terrorists in this brutal attack had killed seven members of the security force, including a lady constable.
Supreme Court has ordered that Mohammed Afzal be hanged on October 20. He was charged with concealing the conspiracy of the attack on Parliament. Today, Kashmiri Muslims are holding a massive protest against the death sentence to the terrorist Afzal. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, Communist and local groups have come out in support of Afzal. Now to show that people of this Nation seek mercy for Afzal, these groups have decided to initiate a nation-wide signature campaign. The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) has launched a signature campaign to mobilize public support for Mohd. Afzal Guru. The media, academics, various NGOs, students and other representatives of the society have participated in the launch ceremony. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This particular campaign to pardon this terrorist is being handled by some real masters. The wife, the mom and the 7 yr old kid. Notice the statements..
7 year old kid says
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Ghalib is believed to have told Kalam that he wanted to be a doctor and he would be able to realise his dream only if his 'abbu' lives.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
very filmi i would say
Then the wife says..
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->We are confident that he would do us justice<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Allah naa kare if Prez rejects the plea he would most definitely be seen as kaffir who is not a 'true' muslim.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->President Kalam meets Afzal's family
Onkar Singh in New Delhi
Â
The family of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who has been sentenced to death in the Parliament attack case, met President A P J Abdul Kalam at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday afternoon. At the meeting were Afzal's mother Ayesha Begum, his wife Tabassum and seven-year-old son Ghalib.
They were accompanied by noted Supreme Court lawyer Nandita Haksar. The meeting lasted over twenty minutes.
Ghalib is believed to have told Kalam that he wanted to be a doctor and he would be able to realise his dream only if his 'abbu' lives.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, the family seemed upbeat and said they 'hope justice will be done in Afzal's case'.
"We told President Kalam that justice was not done to us as Kashmiris. My husband was not given a fair trial, as we had no advocate to represent him at any of the courts. He told us that he would go through our mercy petition carefully. We are confident that he would do us justice," Tabassum said.
When asked if the family was trying to give it a political colour, she said that there was no room for politicising the issue as she has come with a mercy petition. "My husband is not against the mercy petition. He simply seems to have lost faith in the judicial system," she explained.
Afzal's mother expressed similar sentiments and she chose to speak in Kashmiri, which was translated by her daughter- in-law.
Haksar, who is playing host to the family, lost her cool when a journalist asked Tabassum if Kashmir was part of India or not. "No political questions," she said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Entire nation is shocked to see Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dr
Farooq Abdullah and several other personalities (Gandhian Nirmala
Deshpande, social activist Medha Patkar, writer Arundhati Roy) making a
passionate plea for the life of a terrorist, Mohammed Afzal Guru, the
mastermind behind the Parliament attack, who is facing execution on October
20th.
Mercy to a terror mastermind is an insult to the entire nation and
especially to the families of the victims of the security personnel that
were killed during this attack. In the past 59 years, many had laid down
their lives for the nation and if the Government of India has any
respect for them, then a terrorist should not be pardoned at any cost. If
our government is so concerned about the terrorists then why should
anybody sacrifice his or her life for the nation that shows sympathy to a
terrorist?
Therefore, its time for the concerned people to send a letter to the
President of India to reject the mercy plea that was received on behalf
of the terrorist. Evil can succeed only when the good people choose to
keep quiet! Let us do our part of sending a petition to the President.
The following user friendly screen will do most of the work for you.
Just fill Fill the details and Click. Your pre-drafted email will be sent
to President of India, Prime Minister of India, Sonia Gandhi, Congress
President.
<!--emo&:argue--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/argue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='argue.gif' /><!--endemo--> not articles but 2 slogans:
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='font-family:Courier'>1.Congress ka haath aam terrorist ke saath
2.Clemency or Infamy.</span></span>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Govt signals backdoor reprieve </b>
Pioneer.com
Vijaita Singh | New Delhi
Tihar staff told to defer Afzal hanging preparations
<b>Tihar Jail authorities have been asked by the Ministry of Home Affairs to put on hold preparations for the hanging of December 13, 2001 Parliament attack mastermind Mohammed Afzal Guru</b>. Â
Director-General of Prisons BK Gupta was summoned to the North Block on Wednesday and conveyed the Government's decision following the mercy petition filed by the family members of Guru pending before the President.
Once the date for execution of Afzal was fixed by a Delhi court, the jail authorities had started preparations, including identifying a hangman to carry out the execution.
"We have for the time being stopped the search for a hangman," the sources said.
While the petition was filed on October 3, President APJ Abdul Kalam met the convict's family on Thursday. "The family met the President of India and they were satisfied with the meeting. They personally submitted a copy of the petition to him. Tabassum, the wife of Afzal said that the President was very kind. Their meeting lasted for half an hour and he listened to them patiently. He told them that he would get back to them after going through the papers. They said that they have hope that Afzal would be saved," said ND Pancholi, lawyer of Afzal Guru.
Even Afzal's mother Ayesha Begum talked to the President. As his mother spoke in Kashmiri, an interpreter was engaged for the purpose. "The meeting was a success and his family has full hope that Afzal would be saved. The President was extremely hospitable and gracious towards them," said Nandita Haksar, a family friend of the Afzal.
Following the MHA diktat, the jail administration would now inform the court, which had scheduled October 20 as the date of hanging, about keeping the execution of the order in abeyance. "We would now be approaching the court following receipt of formal information from the MHA," said Sunil Gupta, Law Officer, Tihar Central Jail.
Meanwhile, former Punjab Minister and president of All India Anti-Terrorist Front Maninderjit Singh Bitta has criticised the President for meeting the family of Afzal Guru. "He has not had the time to met the family of the martyrs of Parliament attack, who have petitioned the President for not delaying the hanging. How unfortunate the terrorists are being honoured whereas the martyrs are being treated with disdain," Bitta added.
Former Union Minister Vijay Goel meanwhile has said that the MHA directive showed the lack of will on the part of the Centre to tackle the issue of terrorism head-on.
"Where is the need to ask the Tihar Jail to stop preparations? How is MHA so sure that the mercy petition will not get rejected before October 20? Do they need to be told that the Cabinet met in the middle of the night to reject the mercy plea of assassins of Gen AS Vaidya, Jinda and Sukha," he asked.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Bijender faced terror head-on, was shot at point blank range </b>
pioneer.com
Neeraj Chauhan | New Delhi
Head Constable Bijender Singh of Delhi Police was the only martyr of the 2001 Parliament attack case, who died in hospital due to the negligence of doctors.Â
<b>He was admitted to the hospital at 12 noon and operated upon at 8 pm. He himself told the doctors that there was a bullet in his chest but the doctors did not respond</b>.
<b>On the fateful day, Bijender Singh saved the lives of two officers by shielding them behind a statue while indiscriminate firing was going on between the terrorists and the police.</b>
Bijender (42) was driving the car of Vice President Krishan Kant when the attack took place. He confronted the terrorists and was shot in the chest at point blank range. He took his wallet out of his pocket and asked one of his colleagues to inform his family.
<b>At hospital, he himself told the doctors that he needed blood but was ignored. "My father informed the doctors about the bullet but they did not heed him and wheeled him into the operation theatre where reports confirmed the bullet," </b>said Vipin, Bijender's elder son.
He died in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on December 18, 2001 leaving behind his widow to look after their five children.
Bijender had joined Delhi Armed Police seventh battalion in 1985 after serving in the Army for seven years. He entered VIP security in 1998 after serving for more than 10 years in PCR.
<b>His widow Jaiwati and his sons, Vipin and Sachin, are now leading a difficult life as they don't have any source of income. His three daughters, Seema, Meena and Neera were married after his death with the help of the Rs 14 lakh received as compensation from the Central and the Delhi Government</b>.
The family resides in Molarband village near Badarpur. Elder son, Vipin, is preparing for his 12th Board exams and would be given a job in Delhi Police in his father's place.
Jaiwati's brother, Brahm Prakash is taking care of the family now.<b> The petrol pump promised to the bereaved family did not happen as the authorities told them to organise the land for it as Delhi had no space for a petrol pump.</b>
Bijender was a strict disciplinarian with his family. He was never absent from duty and very punctual.
On Afzal's death sentence,<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> his widow Jaiwati said, "He should be hanged and those who are favouring him must be behind the conspiracy. If this was to happen then bring my husband back."</span>
She also said that she would keep fighting against the injustice meted to her family. The only silver lining, the family has a house in the village and a statue of Bijender that was put up by the family with their own money.
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Sign-off seal on death stick
OUR LEGAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, Oct. 31: Outgoing Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti today said capital punishment should stay in the statute book, especially with terrorism emerging as a global phenomenon.
Referring to Saturday's serial blasts, Lahoti, who retired as chief justice today, said the "perpetrators" of the crime "deserve" capital punishment. "Which penalty is required other than this for this dastardly act? What other punishment is called for?" the chief justice asked.
"We forget the past.... Human memory fails.... We forget the victims and we only see the accused before us and his family.... We forget the family of those killed, injured and totally uprooted, and I am told of a family whose only surviving member is a small child," Lahoti said.
"People say that death penalty is the only punishment in which you cannot give life back. Ask this man who is the mastermind behind this blast. Can he give the life back of those killed? <span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>We forget thousands of those killed and think of only one person." </span>
Although a debate is raging "worldwide" against the death penalty, "keeping in view my judicial experience, I personally am of the opinion that it should continue in the Indian Penal Code", Lahoti said.
He, however, added that "facts of the cases should be examined very carefully" while awarding the death penalty.
The chief justice rubbished the criticism that only poor people are "victimised" with the death penalty while the rich get away. "I do not agree with it at all.... We only see the facts of the case and modus operandi while deciding the quantum of punishment."
Lahoti blamed "lack of political will" for growing terrorism in the country and suggested a stringent law to combat it. "What law should be enacted is again a matter of very scientific study. Whenever new problems arise, we find new solutions."
He pointed out that in the US and the UK ? both targets of terror strikes ? "no further incidents of terrorism took place". But "in our country, every day a dastardly act of terrorism takes place. Has anyone gone into the question? The reason is there should be a desire to take action, to act, study it scientifically to take remedial steps. Unfortunately in our country, no such action has been taken," he said.
B Raman: SHOULD MOHD. AFZAL GURU BE EXECUTED?
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->14. Death penalty can be particularly counter-productive in the case of jihadi terrorist groups, which glorify acts of terrorism as acts of martyrdom. Deaths at the hands of the State---either during an encounter or a terrorist operation or after a trial--- would be projected as acts of martyrdom.
15. There is another aspect, which needs to be considered in any debate on this issue. The security forces are authorised by law to kill a terrorist or a dangerous criminal in exercise of the right of self-defence. They can kill in order to protect themselves or others, if they reasonably conclude that there is no other way of protecting themselves or others. A dilemma arises in respect of executing an arrested and convicted terrorist because he is being executed as a punishment for what he did in the past and not due to a fear of what he may do in the future. So long as he is in custody serving a life imprisonment, he can no longer kill. What is the point in executing him?
15. The time has come for the Government to appoint an eminent persons group to examine in a time-bound manner the efficacy of death penalty as a means of preventing terrorism and other dangerous crime and suggest whether the death penalty should continue to be on our statute book. Till it submits its report and a decision on it is taken by the Government, the execution of all death penalties could be kept in abeyance
Rajdharma is not easy. It does involve cruelty. It does involve creating fear and meting punishment for saving the lives. It does invole bloodshed and war. It does involve killing dushkrits for larger peace. Ram's is the best example of how a king should behave.
Those who think they are not upto it, have option of keeping away from Rajdharma. Nobody forced them into it.
There are plenty of stories in tradition, of when a king is not being able to do Rajdharma due to growing softness, in which case he opted for sannyas.
Even Asoka did not do away with prison cells, gallows, and army, after his change of heart.
Those being in Raj and not being able to do the duty, are dharma-drohis. They don't serve dharma, dharma does not serve them.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->14. Death penalty can be particularly counter-productive in the case of jihadi terrorist groups, which glorify acts of terrorism as acts of martyrdom. Deaths at the hands of the State---either during an encounter or a terrorist operation or after a trial--- would be projected as acts of martyrdom.
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Yes, so that everyday we can see hijacks and more Azar will live to kill in hundreds.
I don't understand why he is singing new tune? May be he is getting lot of beating in media or he is suggesting in place of arresting them, kill them on the spot.
Mahabharata should be a made a mandatory reading - especially for those involved in decisions affecting life/death. Emphasis should be on the lessons from Lord Krishna before/during/after the war. Reading challenged types could see the Bollywood- BR Chopra version or even the new Sanjay Khan version which is not bad at all.
Mudy,
We can only hope and pray that terrorism is eliminated by terrorist dying of laughter. <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Note the last point; it's excellent opportunity for retired types to serve on committee after committee to fleece the tax payers with a go nowhere recommendations.
