10-12-2006, 09:26 PM
<!--emo&:ind--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/india.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='india.gif' /><!--endemo--> Afzal's case: NRIs feel justice should prevail
[ 12 Oct, 2006 1359hrs ISTPTI ]
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HOUSTON: In the midst of the controversy over death sentence to Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal, concerned non-resident Indians are closely monitoring developments on his mercy plea.
A sizeable number of Indian Americans feel that justice and the rule of law must not be sacrificed at the altar of sheer expediency and speculative political considerations and likely fallout.
Dr Subodh Atal, foreign policy analyst based near Washington DC, said that Afzal clemency issue is not so surprising given India's consistent history in recent years as a soft state.
"Giving clemency to a terrorist, who has been found guilty of involvement in the attack on one of the greatest symbols of Indian democracy, undermines the nation's foundation as a strong republic with global aspirations.
"Such an action would be in line with previous episodes, particularly the spectacle of the cave-in to (1999 Kandahar) hijacking, with (then) External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh escorting dangerous international terrorists to Kandahar", Atal said.
Sreeram Chaulia, a human rights activist, based in New York, is opposed to death penalty in principle as he does not believe in state-sanctioned murder.
"However, the political reasons being bandied about for his clemency seem dubious to me. If we were to take the principle of 'equality before law' into account, there is no reason why Afzal should be treated separately from other prisoners on death row," he said.
[ 12 Oct, 2006 1359hrs ISTPTI ]
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
HOUSTON: In the midst of the controversy over death sentence to Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal, concerned non-resident Indians are closely monitoring developments on his mercy plea.
A sizeable number of Indian Americans feel that justice and the rule of law must not be sacrificed at the altar of sheer expediency and speculative political considerations and likely fallout.
Dr Subodh Atal, foreign policy analyst based near Washington DC, said that Afzal clemency issue is not so surprising given India's consistent history in recent years as a soft state.
"Giving clemency to a terrorist, who has been found guilty of involvement in the attack on one of the greatest symbols of Indian democracy, undermines the nation's foundation as a strong republic with global aspirations.
"Such an action would be in line with previous episodes, particularly the spectacle of the cave-in to (1999 Kandahar) hijacking, with (then) External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh escorting dangerous international terrorists to Kandahar", Atal said.
Sreeram Chaulia, a human rights activist, based in New York, is opposed to death penalty in principle as he does not believe in state-sanctioned murder.
"However, the political reasons being bandied about for his clemency seem dubious to me. If we were to take the principle of 'equality before law' into account, there is no reason why Afzal should be treated separately from other prisoners on death row," he said.